Identifying Factors Influencing Urban Spatial Growth for the George Town Conurbation

Abstract

Urban growth, which caused spatial land use and land cover changes has affected various physical environment, social, and economic activities. Thus, in order to understand the dynamic process of urban spatial growth, researchers throughout the world have implemented diverse approaches, where spatial models have been developed to predict and simulate future urban growth. Those models were developed based on the driving forces that stimulate urban spatial growth. Therefore, in ensuring reliable models to be developed will be able to forecast future changes and their potential environmental effects, the driving forces must be identified. The objective of this paper is to identify possible driving forces that promote urban spatial growth of the George Town Conurbation. The study was conducted based on reviewing recent publications in journals and an on-line survey. An on-line survey was generated and distributed to academicians and urban planners to identify factors influencing urban spatial growth and their weights. The findings indicated that distance to public amenities, cheap housing price, and distance to the workplace are among factors that are important determinants of urban development. The results provide valuable insights in modelling urban growth in future research.

Land use and cover change (LUCC) and migration in Sukoharjo, Indonesia

“…Peri-urban area is indeed the area where massive LUCC tend to occur to support the urban area. Finding from Mahamud et al (2016) shows that the distance between public facilities, housing price and distance between workplace are the factors driving urban area development. This happens because urban areas with limited space couldn’t provide the criteria as mentioned previously; therefore, the development will be expanding vertically and horizontally and keep expanding into the nearby area (Su et al , 2011).…”

Analysing Land-use Land Cover (LULC) and Development Change in Nearby University Campuses’ Area: A Case of Universiti Teknologi MARA Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

“…By the same token, the establishment of an IHL in an area can spark development in three aspects; economy, society, and environment [6]. On the other hand, Mahamud et al [22] identified three major elements that promote urban development: physical, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Distance to the workplace, low-cost housing, and distance to public facilities, to name a few.…”

Dynamics of population, urban agglomeration, and economic growths in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from panel data

“…In what seems not to be clear in the literature is the arguments on the factors that can positively influence UAG. While Mahamud, Samat, and Noor (2016) attribute that the factors that affect urbanization equally influence UAG which includes but not limited to employment opportunities, social factors, increase in income in urban centres, industrialization, education spread, modernization, and infrastructural developments. These factors can equally be companied with other negative factors such as an increase in crimes, growing of slums as well as frustration among the rural–urban migrants and economically displaced individual within the urban areas (Mahamud et al, 2016).…”

“…While Mahamud, Samat, and Noor (2016) attribute that the factors that affect urbanization equally influence UAG which includes but not limited to employment opportunities, social factors, increase in income in urban centres, industrialization, education spread, modernization, and infrastructural developments. These factors can equally be companied with other negative factors such as an increase in crimes, growing of slums as well as frustration among the rural–urban migrants and economically displaced individual within the urban areas (Mahamud et al, 2016). In SSA, an increase in the gross domestic product (GDP), total trade (TRD), and foreign direct investment (FDI) have contributed in different ways to economic growth and development.…”