Abstract
The present study was aimed at evaluating the quality of life in the districts of Buraidah city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, based on provided services in terms of distance and time parameters. This was achieved by integrating Geographic Information System (GIS)-based network analysis and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques. The service area analysis technique of the GIS Network Analysis tools was applied to the available services in the districts of Buraidah city. Twelve services were investigated with regard to their coverage within 5, 10, and 15 minutes of travel time: universities, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, hospitals, health centers, ambulance facilities, government services, religious services, security services, sports services, and recreational services. GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis (GIS-MCDA) was implemented in the study to obtain a spatial suitability map of the standard of living quality in the various districts in Buraidah city. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique was used to determine the criteria weights. The location-allocation model was used in the study as well for suggestions of new service locations to improve the spatial distribution of services and enhance the quality of life in the districts. The results of the final suitability map to determine districts with the best standard of living according to the provided services show that the living standards in the city are very good, with very high and high levels in around 51 districts, representing 72.9% (449,235 people), and about 19 districts with moderate, low, and very low levels, representing 27.1% (56,765 people). Narrowing the quality of life gap and improving spatial planning requires correcting the current deficiency in services, which is estimated in this study to be 16 services: one high school, one elementary school, one middle school, two universities, one sports service, two security services, two courts, two hospitals, one health center, one park, and two ambulance facilities.
Highlights
Equal spatial distribution of public services in urban areas is a basic concept of urban studies [1], and determining the efficiency and adequacy of the spatial distribution of public services is an important element of contemporary urban planning [2]
Most researchers agree that there are levels and patterns of quality of life, and there are different definitions; for example, the one introduced by Bryan in 2002, that quality of life is determined by the extent to which an urban area meets the requirements of happiness, which depends on good planning and providing appropriate services [4]
The nature of the formation of the city of Buraidah and its emergence as a vital center at the intersections of important roads in the center of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) affected the growth of activities and services in the study area, and over time this area became an administrative, service, and commercial center for the vast urban environment represented by the area of Qassim
Summary
Equal spatial distribution of public services in urban areas is a basic concept of urban studies [1], and determining the efficiency and adequacy of the spatial distribution of public services is an important element of contemporary urban planning [2]. One of the most important tools for site analysis is quantitative modeling for accessibility and location-allocation analysis This provides quantitative comparisons for evaluating the efficiency of local spatial decisions and generating alternatives, by either suggesting more efficient service systems or enhancing the current ones, because local planning decisions made by those responsible or by the government are often far from ideal [56,57,58,59,60]. This resulted in considerable pressure on the public services, which became unable to meet the increasing needs of the population in Buraidah city as a result of the lack of prior planning to contain any potential increase in population This makes it necessary for decision-makers to take into account the required precautions in order to provide citizens with fairly distributed efficient services. The location-allocation model was used to improve the spatial planning of public services in the city by suggesting or allocating new efficient services and enhancing the existing ones
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