Rapid Urban Sprawl Research Articles

Urban Nature Reserves Waste Challenges from Neighboring Informal Settlements: Western Cape, South Africa

Nature reserves have played a crucial role in biodiversity conservation for decades. Rapid urban sprawl has increased the amount of solid waste created by littering and illegal dumping in metropolitan nature reserves. This paper examines how two nature reserves, Wolfgat Nature Reserve and Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserves, can combine community conservation with waste management. To determine aspects such as the socioeconomic impact of the nature reserves on the surrounding communities, questionnaires with a specific focus on the topic were distributed to the surrounding communities and subsequently administered. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with key informants from the nature reserve staff and observational methods, and SPSS was used to analyze the data. Consistent with previous research, this study revealed that ignoring local populations frequently results in people disobeying the appropriate regulations in these protected areas and that education does not guarantee conservation support. Despite this, the survey revealed an absence of community participation; conservators were more reactive than proactive. In this study, the level of education, which in some studies is always associated with knowledge, was contradicted; those with post-secondary education knew little about these areas, and the vast majority of participants were unaware of the protected areas just a few kilometers away from their communities.

The role of Nature-Based Solutions for the water flow management in a Mediterranean urban area

Due to climate change and rapid urban sprawl, central Mediterranean regions are subjected to short but intensive storm events resulting in a significant increase of flow rates and runoff volumes in low-lying coastal urban areas. Within the framework of green urban infrastructures (GUIs), a suitable combination of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) with traditional grey infrastructures should be adopted to mitigate flood risk effects in urban and sub-urban areas contributing at the same time to achieve multiple benefits for both the environment and the community. The aim of this study is (i) to evaluate flood hazard maps for identifying the areas within a Sicilian hydrological river basin (Toscano catchment) with a high risk of flooding by implementing the HEC-RAS model at catchment scale; (ii) to quantify the peak flow and floodplain area reduction; (iii) to assess the effectiveness of small-scale NBS (green roofs, porous pavements, rain gardens and rain barrel), in terms of peak flow and runoff volume reductions, at urban block scale by using the EPA SWMM model Model simulations are performed integrating the hydraulic (HEC-RAS) and hydrological (EPA SWMM) models for return periods of 10, 50 and 200 years. The results showed that the estimated peak flow (m3 s−1) obtained from the simulations performed at catchment scale for each T in the current scenario (without NBS) using HEC-RAS and EPA SWMM models are very close to each other (R2 = 0.99). In addition, the utopian scenario simulation showed the HEC-RAS model sensitivity to CN calibration achieving a peak flow reduction up to about 60% with the floodplain area decreasing up to about 17%. Finally, the model EPA SWMM shows its sensitivity to NBS implementation at urban block scale with a peak flow reduction up to about 16% and a runoff volume (mm) reduction up to about 24%. These reductions decrease as T increases with a higher NBS mitigation effects for the lowest T. The results highlighted that the integration of NBS in urban areas could have hydrological and hydraulic positive effects, particularly in terms of peak flow and runoff volume reduction. Furthermore, the results suggest that small-scale NBS have a potential to be effective to smaller rainfall events, but a combination with large-scale NBS is necessary to cope with extreme events.

Understanding impact of urban sprawl over sanitation risks using GIS‐based multicriteria decision‐making approach

AbstractUrban sprawl and the shortage of proper sanitary infrastructures significantly jeopardize public health and urban sustainability. The problem is further aggravated as a result of the rapid urbanization and urban sprawl. This study investigated the relationship between urban sprawl and sanitation risk conditions in a rapidly growing city in India. This was accomplished by investigating changes in urban sprawl areas between the periods 2000–2020 using multispectral satellite images and Shanon's entropy model and studying the pattern of spatial variations in basic sanitation services derived from the 100 household‐based surveyed WASH (water availability, sanitation, and hygiene) data collected in 2018 before COVID‐19 from 45 sprawl regions. Spatial statistical techniques, namely, the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation and the multicriteria decision technique, were employed for neighborhood analysis and assessing sanitation risks inside the sprawl region. Results showed that Raipur exhibited urban sprawl and around 93.68% of the sprawl area was classified between high (6.47%)‐ and medium (80.52%)‐risk zones.

Exploring sustainable urban governance: Evolving dynamics, transitions, and ambiguities

ABSTRACT In the context of rapid urbanization and urban sprawl, growing concerns about sustainability in urban governance have come to the forefront. The study employed exploratory bibliometric analysis to examine the literature on sustainable urban governance and critically investigate how sustainability is complexly woven into urban governance as a multidimensional phenomenon. The paper addresses the existing literature gaps, including contextual challenges and inadequate theoretical-methodological underpinnings, by analyzing 2,194 scholarly outputs. We propose a “sustainable urban governance framework” that rationalizes contextual justifications (at the macro-meso-micro and interlevel) by synthesizing the concept of good urban governance, interlinks of sustainability dimensions, and multilevel governance systems. Sustainable urban governance is defined in this study as a process and system that creates harmonious coexistence among urban settings’ ecological and social strata through integrating rationalized contextual justifications, collective sustainability objectives, and inclusive urban resilience plans.

Residential proximity to major roadways and hearing impairment in Chinese older adults: a population-based study

BackgroundWith rapid urban sprawl, growing people are living in the vicinity of major roadways. However, little is known about the relationship between residential proximity to major roadways and hearing impairment (HI).MethodsWe derived data from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, and included 13,775 participants aged 65 years or older. Multivariate logistic regressions were employed to examine the association between residential proximity to major roadways and HI. The effects of corresponding potentially modifiable factors were studied by three-way interaction analyses. Sensitivity analyses were performed to verify the robustness of the results.ResultsThe prevalence of HI was 38.3%. Participants living near major roadways were more likely to have a higher socioeconomic status. An exposure-response relation between residential proximity to major roadways and HI was observed (Ptrend < 0.05). Compared with individuals living > 300 m away from major roadways, the adjusted odds ratios (OR) were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96–1.24), 1.15 (95% CI: 1.07–1.34), and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.01–1.31) for those living 101–200 m, 50–100 m, and < 50 m away from the roadways, respectively. Particularly, the association was more pronounced among individuals exposed to carbon monoxide (CO) pollution or opening windows frequently (Pinteraction < 0.05). Three-way interaction analyses confirmed that participants exposed to CO pollution and frequently leaving windows open had the highest OR of 1.73 (95% CI: 1.58–1.89).ConclusionsThis nation-wide cohort study suggested that residential proximity to major roadways was significantly associated with an increased exposure-response risk of HI in Chinese older adults. Exposure to CO pollution and opening windows frequently might strengthen the relations.

Machine learning-based assessment and simulation of land use modification effects on seasonal and annual land surface temperature variations

Rapid urban sprawl adversely impacts the local climate and the ecosystem components. Islamabad, one of South Asia's green and environment-friendly capitals, has experienced major Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes over the past three decades consequently, elevating the seasonal and annual Land Surface Temperature (LST) in planned and unplanned urban areas. The focus of this study was to quantify the fluctuations in LULC and LST in planned and unplanned urban areas using Landsat data and Machine Learning algorithms involving the Support Vector Machine (SVM) over the 1990–2020 data period. Moreover, hybrid Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were employed to project the future changes in LULC and annual LST, respectively, for the years 2035 and 2050. The findings of the study reveal a distinct difference in seasonal and annual LST in planned and unplanned areas. Results showed an increase of ∼22 % in the built-up area but vegetation and bare soil decreased by ∼10 % and ∼12 %, respectively. Built-up land showed a maximum annual mean LST followed by bare-soil and vegetative surfaces. Seasonal analysis showed that summer months experience the highest LST, followed by spring, autumn and winter. Future projections revealed that the built-up areas (∼27 % in 2020) are likely to increase to ∼37 % and ∼50 %, and the areas under the highest annual mean LST class i.e., ≥28 °C are likely to increase to ∼19 % and ∼21 % in planned, and ∼38 % and ∼42 % in unplanned urban areas for the years 2035 and 2050, respectively. Planned areas have better temperature control with urban green spaces, and controlled infrastructure. The Capital Development Authority of Islamabad may be advised to control the expansion of built-up areas, grow urban forests, and thus mitigate the possible Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.

Urban expansion in South Tangerang: Analyzing Bintaro Jaya as a private city

The phenomenon of urban expansion in Southeast Asia has increased since the 1960s due the land development for the capital as well as surrounding cities supporting it. Since the 1970s, private developers in Jabodetabek have transformed rural areas into new cities and connecting them primarily via toll roads. They have developed the suburb aggressively for real estate projects, resulting in rapid urban sprawl. Most of these new cities are outfitted with amenities, including schools, hospitals, sewage systems, medical facilities, security personnel, and public parks. Some were motivated by the need for new settlements, while others were motivated by economic and industrial growth. However, the new cities have become segregated communities because they are heavily guarded, gated, and surrounded by walls. Their existence creates disparities between private cities and surrounding kampongs, which can be problematic for the surrounding society. Through literature review, mapping, interviews, and taking Bintaro Jaya as the case study, this paper analyses the characteristics of the private city in Southeast Asia and the Indonesian context as well as how gentrification resulting from land transformation has become the primary driver of urban expansion. This paper argues that the definition of Private cities cannot be generally adopted to Indonesian context.

Utilizing a top predator to prioritize site protection for biodiversity conservation

Ongoing global change makes it ever more urgent to find creative solutions for biodiversity preservation, but prioritizing sites for protection can be challenging. One shortcut lies in mapping the habitat requirements of well-established biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, to identify high-biodiversity sites. Here, we planned site protection for biodiversity conservation by developing a multi-scale species distribution model (SDM) for the raptorial Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; goshawk) breeding in an extensive megacity region of Japan. Specifically, we: (1) examined the determinants of top predator occurrence and thus of high-biodiversity value in this megacity setting, (2) identified the biodiversity hotspots, (3) validated whether they actually held higher biodiversity through an independent dataset, and (4) evaluated their current protection by environmental laws. The SDM revealed that goshawks preferred secluded sites far from roads, with abundant forest within a 100 m radius and extensive forest ecotones suitable for hunting within a 900 m radius. This multi-scale landscape configuration was independently confirmed to hold higher biodiversity, yet covered only 3.2% of the study area, with only 44.0% of these sites legally protected. Thus, a rapid biodiversity assessment mediated by a top predator quickly highlighted: (1) the poor development of biodiversity-friendly urban planning in this megacity complex, an aspect overlooked for decades of rapid urban sprawl, and (2) the extreme urgency of extending legal protection to the sites missed by the current protected area network. Exigent biodiversity indicators, such as top predators, could be employed in the early or late stages of anthropogenic impacts in order to proactively incorporate biodiversity protection into planning or flag key biodiversity relics. Our results confirm and validate the applied reliability of top predatory species as biodiversity conservation tools.

Evaluating the association between morphological characteristics of urban land and pluvial floods using machine learning methods

Spatial pattern of urban land plays a significant role in the occurrence of pluvial floods. While landscape metrics have been widely used to reflect land use spatial patterns, the association between the morphological spatial pattern of urban land and pluvial floods is much less understood. Unlike landscape metrics, morphological spatial pattern analysis could discover more spatial information on the formation and layout of land use. To fill such knowledge gap, this research evaluated whether the morphological characteristics of urban land matter to pluvial floods based on machine learning techniques. Pearson's correlation test and random forest algorithm were employed to discover the linear and non-linear associations between the density of flood hotspots and a set of underlying influencing factors, respectively. A case study in a low-lying coastal city has highlighted the strong influence of land use morphological characteristics on pluvial floods with baseline influencing factors considered. The density of flood hotspots was positively associated with the core, loop, edge, and bridge of urban land at sub-watershed level, but negatively associated with islet urban land. While it is unfeasible to restrain rapid urban sprawl and population growth in many developing countries, this research could give specific guidance for upgrading the morphological spatial pattern of urban land. A proper design of key morphological elements may overcome the negative influence of urban expansion on pluvial floods. These findings could help urban planners and policy makers to highlight the importance of land use morphological spatial patterns.

A transdisciplinary approach for assessing the potential feasibility of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems: case study, Bogotá, Colombia

ABSTRACT Rapid population growth and urban sprawl have expanded built-up areas, affecting flood patterns in cities. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) have gained significant attention by attempting to replicate natural pre-development drainage conditions. This paper presents a new transdisciplinary methodology for assessing the potential feasibility of 12 different SUDS typologies by considering physical restrictions and six types of contextual barriers. The approach integrates input from academic and non-academic actors, fuzzy logic, geographic information system tools, and multi-criteria decision analysis. A neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia, was selected as the unit of analysis, framing a relevant case study for highly urbanized areas. The findings demonstrate the differential impact of local context constraints and emphasize the importance of comprehensive approaches to SUDS planning that consider criteria other than technical. The methodology is a tool to support architects, engineers, urban planners, and urban water decision-makers in the planning of sustainable and flood-resilient cities.

Characterizing / Segregating Municipal Solid Waste and Finding its Recycling Potential in Bannu District

Investigating with rapid population growth and urban sprawl, unregulated municipal waste (MSW) poses a threat to public health and environmental safety. In this study, we examine its performance, cure, and physiological features and evaluate the potential of MSW as a renewable energy source in the Bannu region. Depending on the average generation of MSW generation (e.g. 0.439 kg/capita/day), the daily production of MSW in the city can reach up to 2000 tons/day. However, its safe construction is prohibited directly to a lack of (a) past planning, (b) public services, (c) political determination, and (d) public understanding. Various MSW samples were collected for social and economic construction. Body parts of MSW in Bannu are declining through decaying material, plastic bags of nylon, cloth, nappy and paper. A close assessment of this MSW was performed along with its temperature values. The maximum temperature range for MSW is estimated at 13369.935 kJ / kg. The power output of 44.29 MW is continuously tested from 2000 tons of MSW / day. The consequences of this study should help policymakers develop a management strategy for MSW for renewable power.

The Role of University Campus Locations in the City Urban Growth: the Case of German Jordanian University in Madaba

Although there are many studies related to Madaba at an urban scale, there is no study for the examination of the relationship between university campus locations at the edges and the urban growth of Madaba in Jordan. This study is the first study investigating the impact of university campuses on the urban growth of Madaba, including a set of critical urban issues involved in the development of the city of Madaba. Due to the rapid urban sprawl of Madaba city, there is an increase in population flow towards the outer suburb of the city which includes the university campus and inequity in the distribution of services in these areas. This increases the urban intensification in the city suburbs and the surrounding areas without preserving and reservation of land uses and urban activities. However, urban changes appeared at the city's edges, which helped to form new urban areas close to the university campuses. These changes gave an opportunity to attract new activities due to the existence of university campuses, which affect the urban growth of the city. Therefore, this study aims to identify the role of university campuses localized at the city edges in developing city urban growth. It focused on investigating the relationship between the university campus locations and the urban growth of the cities. This research depends on the quantitative method. The quantitative method employs statistical data analysis using GIS and a questionnaire survey. The study concludes with a series of recommendations for future decision-makers to overcome the main problems facing the urban growth of the city including university campus localizing at the edges. The study shows that the land uses in the surrounding context of the university campus changed significantly, where it could be concluded that residential (48.88% to 79.16%), commercial (3.03% to 9.56%), and service (3.28% to 5.42%) increased at the expense of agricultural use (36.13% to 4.02%). According to this change, it can be noted that there is a slight increase in the built-up areas, which was 3.30% in 1990 then became 8.30% in 2020. The outcome of this study contributes to improving the decisions made by the parties involved in urban development in Jordan when developing the surrounding context of the university campus located at the city edges.

Spatio-Temporal Change Detection Analysis of Land Use Land Cover of Bathinda District, Punjab, India

ABSTRACT: Due to rapid industrialization and urban sprawl in the last few decades, the land use pattern and its consumption takes place at a large scale that could lead to problems such as over-exploitation of land resources, food insecurity and pollution. It becomes imperative to carry out monitoring and subsequent modelling of land use land cover (LULC) changes. An attempt was made to study the changes in the LULC pattern of district of Bathinda, Punjab, India. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) were used to perform the analysis of satellite data using image processing and classification procedures. For preparing LULC maps, supervised classification was carried out using maximum likelihood classification (MLC) algorithm, aided with Earth Resources Data Analysis System (ERDAS) Imagine 2014 and ArcGIS 10.3 software. Further, change detection study was done using multi-temporal Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor-III (LISS-III) data sets of the year 2006 and 2018 to analyze the temporal changes. It was observed that the region is occupied by various ground features such as water, built-up area, agricultural land, vegetation/trees and fallow land. The results revealed that the area under water bodies have increased by 0.413km2 in 2018. The built-up areas including human settlements, commercial infrastructures, roads and other pavements, have increased from 584.448km2 to 852.140km2 between 2006 and 2018, whereas the agricultural land has reduced from 2686.121km2 to 2398.384km2 during the period. The area under vegetation (trees) indicated that there was an increasing trend from 28.490km2 to 54.678km2 during 12years of time span whereas, the fallow land/barren land showed a decreasing trend from 26.361km2 to 18.367km2. It is suggested that the LULC change detection studies are very significant to conserve the land resources and to avoid further degradation.

Urban flood resilience in Kampung Melayu: A multi-objective evolutionary approach

The superblock of Kampung Melayu in Jakarta, Indonesia, is an urban morphology amalgamated by the environmental and infrastructure challenges raised by Jakarta’s inevitable urban growth. Low-income settlements like Kampung Melayu are particularly susceptible as a result of the city’s rapid and uncontrolled urban sprawl, erratic tropical weather, increasing sea levels and unparalleled environmental stresses. The proposed research utilises a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) for an in-depth investigation of the many relationships within the urban fabric to address these difficulties. The experiments demonstrate an alternate urban strategy for a flood-resilient Kampung that investigates the selection techniques coupled with the use of population-based algorithms. While preserving the irregularity that has been ingrained in the history of the urban form, the results address the environmental and demographic stresses of the urban village.

MEASURING LAND USE CHANGES AND QUANTIFYING URBAN EXPANSION USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES – A CASE STUDY OF QOM

Abstract. Rapid urban sprawl necessitates solid urban planning tactics, which requires assessing and quantifying the sustainable or unsustainable encroachment of urban settings towards the urban periphery. Like many cities in developing countries, Iranian cities have witnessed tremendous changes in recent decades. The process of urbanization following economic and social developments has caused the intractable and unrestrained growth of cities with a national and regional role. Remote sensing and geospatial information system technology give urban planners the appropriate and pertinent information they need to guarantee the sustainable management of urban environments. This study explored the changes in Qom metropolis, Iran during four time periods, from 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2021, and assessed how the city expanded using Shannon's entropy model and the Urban Expansion Intensity Index. In this study, Landsat satellite images from the selected years were employed, and three land use/land cover classification types, including agricultural, built-up, and others, were derived using the maximum likelihood classification approach. The relative Shannon’s entropy result for the study years (1985, 2000, 2010, and 2021) are 0.66, 0.68, 0.69, and 0.86 respectively, which demonstrate a dispersed expansion pattern, with the maximum value in 2021. Also, the Urban Expansion Intensity Index, with the values 0.33, 0.33, and 0.51 for three periods (1985–2000, 2000–2010, 2010–2021), indicates that the city's expansion rate was low-speed throughout the chosen periods, despite having reached its peak between 2010 and 2021.

Implications of Rapid Urban Sprawl towards Water Resources Management: The case of lake Babati, Tanzania

Implications of Rapid Urban Sprawl towards Water Resources Management: The case of lake Babati, Tanzania

Linear and ponderal growth changes in boys and girls from Puerto Madryn (Patagonia, Argentina) between 2001 and 2016

Background: The phenotypic plasticity in growth pattern that takes place over time is described as “secular trend”. The presence of secular changes evidences shifts in the environmental conditions under which a population lives. In this regard, the study of the population residing in the northeast of Argentine Patagonia is interesting because it underwent a rapid demographic growth and urban sprawl in the last 50 years.&#x0D; Objective: To compare height and body weight of two groups of boys and girls between 6 and 14 years old from Puerto Madryn (northeast of Argentine Patagonia) and estimate secular trend changes during the first decades of 21st century.&#x0D; Sample and Methods: Height and body weight of two groups of schoolchildren were compared. Data of the first group (G1) was collected in the 2001–2006 period, and of the second (G2) during 2014–2016.&#x0D; To analyze the comparison between groups, the Friedman and Wilcoxon test (p &lt; 0.05) were used. Centile values (3rd, 50th and 97th) of the variables by sex and age in both groups were also calculated. Then, they were compared using the Wilcoxon test.&#x0D; Results: Both sexes showed statistically significant differences for height in all centiles and for body weight in the 50th and 97th centiles. G2 values were above G1 for most ages.&#x0D; Conclusion: Boys and girls from Puerto Madryn show a positive secular trend in linear and ponderal growth patterns. These changes, registered during the first decades of the 21st century, are possibly related to the urban sprawl of the city and the variations in the associated socio-environmental and demographic conditions.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Landscape Transformation in Western Balkans’ Metropolitan Areas

Human-caused landscape transformation represents a danger to conserving the Earth’s natural habitats. Landscape fragmentation (LF) caused by transportation infrastructure and urban development poses a threat to human and environmental health by increasing traffic noise and pollution, reducing the size and viability of wildlife populations, facilitating the spread of invasive species, and reducing the recreational qualities of the landscape. It is especially noticeable in the metropolitan areas of developing countries due to rapid and unsupervised urban sprawl. In this context, this study aims to protect natural landscapes and biodiversity, promoting forms of sustainable development. To exemplify our aim, we bring a spatio-temporal analysis of landscape change comparing three metropolitan areas in the Western Balkans (WB). First, we compare the land use land cover (LULC) changes in Tirana (Albania), Skopje (North Macedonia), and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The comparison was based on the Urban Atlas (UA) data of 2012 and 2018. The analysis was performed on two levels, at the metropolitan and urban spatial scales. Apart from descriptive statistics about the changes in surface area and patch counts, we used effective mesh size (meff) as a landscape metric to quantify the LF level. Our results show that each city has faced significant LULC change between 2012 and 2018, with a dominant increase in artificial surfaces. Furthermore, the cumulative natural surface area reduction is followed by increased landscape patch counts, indicating an increased LF at both levels. This study enhances public awareness about the landscape transformation trends in the developing metropolitan regions of WB. The respective administrative bodies at both local and central levels are invited to consider our results and adopt proper measurements to reduce the adverse consequences of subsequent spatial development decisions.

A Review of Flood Risk in China during 1950–2019: Urbanization, Socioeconomic Impact Trends and Flood Risk Management

China is one of the countries that are most severely affected by floods worldwide. Due to the geographical and climatic environment, floods frequently occur in China. Rapid socioeconomic growth and urban sprawl in the past decades have significantly changed both exposure and vulnerability dimensions of flood risk in China. In response to high risks of flood, the Chinese government has adopted a series of effective measures, such as the “Spongy City” Program and building many large dams and reservoirs, and some measures have achieved significant results. However, there is still a lack of studies with an integrated view on analyzing the causes, socioeconomic impact trends, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures of flood risk in China in the past decades. Accordingly, this paper aims to fill in the gap and provides some new insights into China’s contributions in DRR over the period of 1950–2019. Our results show that annual flood-induced fatalities and socioeconomic vulnerability to floods have significantly decreased in China, owing to a range of structural and non-structural measures. Nevertheless, China still faces the complex coupling effects of climate change and urbanization, and thus threats from extreme floods. In addition, China needs to further improve its flood risk management system.

Peri-urban area delineation and urban sprawl quantification in Thiruvananthapuram Urban Agglomeration, India, from 2001 to 2021 using geoinformatics

In Southeast Asia, rising population, economic growth, and lack of land supply in the city core have led to the widespread irreversible land cover transformation in peri-urban areas. Such extensive and haphazard urban growth in peri-urban areas raises concern about analyzing and promoting planned urban growth. Therefore, this paper attempts to assess land cover changes from 2001 to 2021 and delineate peri-urban areas of a midsized Indian city, i.e., Thiruvananthapuram Urban Agglomeration (UA) using geoinformatics. The maximum likelihood supervised classification tool in ArcGIS 10.3 was used to prepare land cover maps for 2001, 2007, 2014, and 2021. Further, the presence of urban sprawl in the peri-urban areas was detected through Shannon’s entropy index. The urban sprawl typologies in the peri-urban areas were quantified using the adjacent neighborhood relationships concept. The results revealed rapid growth in built-up land cover and decline in non-built-up land cover within Thiruvananthapuram UA during the study period. Peri-urban areas were delineated based on nine indicators, such as total population, population growth, population density, literacy rate, percentage of the male workforce, percentage of the female workforce, agricultural land cover, distance from urban core, and percentage of cultivators to agricultural workers. A rise in Shannon’s entropy index from 1.59 in 2001 to 2.05 in 2021 exhibited the occurrence of rapid urban sprawl in the peri-urban areas. Dominance of discontinuous low-density development, i.e., scatter development typology of urban sprawl, was observed in peri-urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram UA. Such studies using geoinformatics would assist local governments in scientifically formulating sustainable urban policies and plans.