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.