Land suitability analysis of urban development in the Aqaba area, Jordan, using a GIS-based analytic hierarchy process

Selection of suitable sites for sustainable urban development is one of the critical and complex issues in urban planning. Since many criteria must be considered and analysed in the selection of sites for urban development, it is necessary to use the most effective techniques to identify the best location for urban expansion. The application of a geographic information system (GIS) can help with successful analysis and decision making. This study aims to find the most suitable locations for urban development in Aqaba based on four main planning criteria, including thirteen sub-criteria. Socioeconomic, topographic, eco-environmental and political and security aspects were considered the main planning goals. Geophysical, cultural, and socioeconomic data were used to assess land suitability for future urban growth by integrating the analytic hierarchy process and GIS technology. The findings of this research based on multi-criteria decision analysis reveal that most of the area attains a moderate suitability (47.7%) for sustainable development, while high-suitability areas account for 2.9% of the total study area. Areas with the highest suitability are rarely found, accounting for 0.1% of the total area, composed of well-connected regions that can be reserved as second-degree suitable locations for future sustainable urban development in the study area. The study provides insights into sustainable urban development using GIS techniques and highlights the significant constraints on the study area.