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Daviran A. (2026). Place, Events, and Elderly Experiences in Shaping Urban Memory (The Case of city Central of Zanjan). CIAUJ. 11(1), 57-80. doi:10.61882/ciauj.11.1.658
URL: http://ciauj-tabriziau.ir/article-1-658-en.html

Urban memory is a dynamic and social phenomenon that transcends the physical structure of space and intertwines with lived experiences, events, and social relations. This study aimed to investigate the dimensions of urban memory among the elderly in the central fabric of Zanjan. The research employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive–explanatory orientation, applying grounded theory to analyze elderly residents’ narratives about urban places. The study population consisted of elderly individuals with over 40 years of residence in Zanjan and frequent presence in the Sabzeh-Meydan area. Using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation, 35 participants were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using open and axial coding within the grounded theory framework. The analysis revealed six main categories: (1) disconnection and forgetting, (2) identity and culture, (3) events and incidents, (4) adaptation to new identity, (5) commerce and business, and (6) sense of belonging and mental persistence. The findings showed that places such as the Zolfaghari Mansion, the Bazaar, Sabzeh-Meydan, the Jameh Mosque, and even demolished sites not only served physical functions but also embodied cultural and historical meanings, reproduced in the minds of the elderly as the “living memory of the city.” Urban memory emerges through the interaction of place, events, and lived experiences, developing as a time-bound and dynamic process oscillating between continuity and rupture. In the case of Zanjan’s central fabric, urban memory is shaped by the interconnection of place, events, social.