Detecting these changes provides invaluable insights for sustainable urban planning and management. This study aims to detect and analyze the trends of LULC changes in Kerman city from 2017 to 2025. This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-analytical in nature and methodology. To prepare land use maps, Landsat satellite imagery was utilized for five periods: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025. Image processing, layer generation, and data analysis were performed using ArcGIS Pro and SAGA GIS, and image classification was conducted based on the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. In this study, five main classes were extracted—built-up areas, rangelands, barren lands, agricultural lands, and tree cover—and their change trends were evaluated. The research findings indicate that during the study period, the share of built-up areas increased from 37.93% in 2017 to 40.75% in 2025, reflecting the continuous physical development of Kerman. Conversely, barren lands decreased from 16.52% to 6.26%, with a significant portion being converted to other uses, particularly built-up areas and rangelands. Furthermore, the share of rangelands increased from 40.74% to 47.62%, while agricultural lands, after minor fluctuations, reached 5.27% by the end of the period. Tree cover remained below 0.13% throughout the period, showing no significant changes. The results demonstrate that the dominant trend in LULC in Kerman has been the gradual expansion of built-up areas and a continuous decline in barren lands. These changes reflect the physical expansion of the city and a transformation in the spatial structure of land use in recent years. This underscores the necessity of continuous monitoring and the integration of remote sensing data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in urban development management and spatial decision-making.