Abstract

Abstract: Though lately the so-called “annexation” has been more or less a growing debate under urban scholars, there have been few efforts to measure or monitor changes in degree of sprawl over time. Referring to the existing information, this phenomenon, in absence of compatible urban plans, has grown and annexed many rural settlements into the urban and metropolitan centers. Thus, not only the towns and cities have sprawled, but many rural lands and settlements have been changed into the annexed not-rural-not-urban (rurban) communities. This article tries to examine the different dimensions of urban annexation and related phenomena (gobbling and sprawl), with special refer to Zanjan city and two its peripheral villages.  Keywords: Keywords: Annexation, Peripheral Rural Settlements, Urban Sprawl, Rurban, Zanjan city, Sayan, Gawazang.,