Urban collective spaces, as focal points of social interaction and urban identity, play a fundamental role in sustaining urban life. Streets, as some of the most dynamic urban collective spaces, have undergone significant transformation in the modern era, shifting from environments for social interaction to infrastructures primarily dedicated to vehicular movement. This study aims to investigate the transformation of the streetscape of Imam Street within the Sabzeh-Meydan area of Zanjan and to explain how the street has been redefined as a collective space within the context of contemporary urban development programs (2018–2025).
The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method with a qualitative approach and a case study strategy. Data were collected through document analysis, field observations, and in-depth interviews. In this study, the transformation of the street landscape is analyzed across three temporal periods: before 2018 (vehicle-oriented street), 2018–2025 (pedestrianization phase), and 2025 onward (shared space model), with a focus on physical, functional, and social dimensions.
The findings indicate that during the first period, the dominance of a vehicle-oriented functional approach marginalized social interactions, weakened the human scale, and reduced social vitality within the central space of the street. In the second period, although the complete pedestrianization of the street enhanced presence, walkability, and social interaction, disruptions in the urban access network and increased traffic pressure on surrounding streets generated economic and social dissatisfaction among local residents and shopkeepers. Finally, in the third period, the adoption of the “shared space” model established a balance between controlled vehicular movement and pedestrian presence, simultaneously strengthening social vitality and functional continuity.
Overall, the results suggest that the success of contemporary development strategies in historic streets depends neither on the complete elimination of vehicles nor on their absolute dominance, but rather on moving beyond one-dimensional approaches toward adaptive and hybrid models based on conflict management and spatial flexibility. In such a model, the streetscape is reproduced through the interaction between people, space, and the urban network.