An Analysis of the Spatial Structure of Cities from the Perspective of Spatial Balance in the Distribution of Functions and the Formation of Multi-Core Pattern (Case Study: Tabriz City)

The multi-core spatial structure is one of the important and basic topics in urban planning studies, which is considered both as a framework for evaluating urban development and as a basic spatial development goal. Considering the importance of the multi-core spatial structure pattern, especially for large cities with high populations and diverse and complex activities, the present study aims to evaluate the spatial structure of Tabriz city from the perspective of multi-core pattern development based on the spatial distribution of functions and population across the city. The present study employs a Quantitative Correlational Research method. The documentary method is used for data collection, and various techniques such as mean center, standard deviational ellipse, kernel density estimation, location quotient (L.Q.), nearest neighbor index, and geographically weighted regression are applied for data analysis. The study examines six functions: religious, educational, commercial, healthcare, industrial, and administrative. The findings suggest that the spatial distribution of functional cores, except for industrial and commercial functions, exhibits a single-core spatial structure in the city center. Also, the results indicate that the correlation between functional cores and the population of Tabriz city, based on the spatial regression test, is moderate. Accordingly, an imbalance in the distribution of functional cores in Tabriz City is evident. Therefore, Tabriz is located in a single-core state, and due to the increase in the distribution of administrative and medical functions in the eastern and industries in the western, it can become a multi-core model.