Aim: This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of traditional and modern lifestyles within the urban context of Yazd, Iran, and to examine how these transformations are reflected in citizens’ spatial behaviors. Additionally, the role of social networks—particularly Instagram—in redefining patterns of citizen presence is investigated.

Methodology: The research employs a convergent mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 experts in urban planning and lifestyle studies, and thematically analyzed using MAXQDA software. In the quantitative phase, over 60 Instagram posts related to urban spaces in Yazd were gathered and analyzed using qualitative-quantitative content analysis techniques. Data integration was achieved through a triangulation strategy.

Findings: The results indicate that the traditional lifestyle in Yazd manifests as a "worship-centered" model, characterized by family-centeredness, neighborhood-based sociality, need-oriented commerce, and familial leisure. In contrast, the modern lifestyle is represented by individualism, consumerism, city-centeredness, and individual-social leisure practices.

Conclusion: The urban space of Yazd has currently transformed into a dynamic arena where traditional and modern cultural models intersect and at times conflict. These shifts have redefined the functions, meanings, and identities of public urban spaces, redirecting the use of sites such as squares, alleys, and bazaars from ritualistic and collective frameworks toward individual, visual, and shareable experiences in virtual space.