Analysis of Urban Sprawl and Growth Pattern Using Geospatial Technologies in Megacity, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

AbstractUrbanization is a spatial process and involves multiple dimensions of the settlements where jobs and housing are the driving force for urban migration, causing the expansion of urban areas from the center of Bangkok to its vicinity. This study focuses on the changes in physical factors affecting urban expansion by using spatial analysis in term of remote sensing statistical models. Three years of aerial photo and satellite imagery studies (2000, 2010 and 2020) are used to determine urbanization which was input into the study of land-use changes to demonstrate the situation of urban sprawl. The changes in land use pattern of Bangkok and its vicinities during 2000–2020 demonstrates the consequences of urban migration based on Urban Index (UI) which presents urban sprawling of Bangkok to its vicinities. The results of analysis demonstrated that the five adjacent provinces of Bangkok have continued its growth with the higher sprawling rate based on entropy calculations ranging from 2.25 to 2.46 in 2020. The expanding from the capital city to the vicinity provinces has resulted due to the nodes of employment are clustered in the capital city. The settlement in the outskirt areas of Bangkok could help in reduction of living expenses within the urban areas, although require longer travel distance from the vicinities of Bangkok. The findings demonstrate the value of geospatial technologies in urban planning and environmental management to cope with the rapid urban expansion, resulting in urban sprawl for sustainable urban strategies and policies by controlling improper future of land use changes.KeywordsLand use changeMega CityUrbanizationUrban sprawling