Mohammadreza Bemanian - Professor in Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Reza Oryaninejad - Ph.D. student in Architecture, Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran
Mehrdad Shahbazi - Ph.D. student in Architecture, Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran

Spatial expansion and land use changes in agricultural lands are among important factors contributing to environmental damages and disabilities of productive economy in the region especially in agricultural aspects. This trend is common in developing countries. These changes in land use usually occur by those who target agricultural lands for speculations and other abusing form of economy. In addition this trend also affects environment likewise economy and environment which is attributed as sprawl. Urumia Urban region gains valuable agricultural lands which plays a key role in in both environment and economy. In recent two decades according to excessive construction in the region these areas are turned out to be more of a recreational site for affluent families which has decreased agricultural functions there and also has damaged beautiful landscapes of the villages. Recent occurrence is resulted from not being cost effective agricultural activities and inefficiency of the market supplemented with not supporting agricultural activities. This has leaded that Urumia urban region go through a spatial expansion which differs considerably with urban sprawl. This paper is aimed to analyze effective factors on land se changes and the following sprawl by it. Moreover there are two main questions that should be answered: first is which factors contribute to spatial expansion in agricultural areas? How is attributed the sprawl dominating Urumia urban region? In order to analyze and producing status qua and current relationship between Urumia city and agricultural lands we used a descriptive and analytical method and in order to analyzing development process we went to the documents and finally in order to examine occurred changes we used from satellite photographs and cartographic photos in different periods. After gathering data and statistics and classification in the second stage by observing we tried to perfect the statistics. The results express that the absence cost effectiveness in agricultural activities and speculation in land and of course having nothing in common between users and speculators has resulted a new form of sprawl in Urumia which differs considerably with common forms of it. This new sprawl has features which sustains affluent interests.

spatial expansion, Land Use Change, Sprawl, Urumia urban region