Modelling of sustainable and suitable land selection for future urban development: a study around Kolkata city, India

The uncontrolled and disorganized built-up growth resulting from unprecedented population growth is a common problem for cities in developing countries, leading to a widespread issue of urban sprawl that encroaches upon large areas of natural environment. In this regard, identifying the suitable location for future urban growth which can preserve ecological balance is a crucial element of effective planning. In order to determine the suitable location for future urban development, the region around Kolkata city has been selected for this study. The weight of each criterion was determined by using the AHP approach and pair-wise comparison matrix. The final suitable map was generated by WOA using weighted reclassification maps, and it was categorized as highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), marginally suitable (S3), currently unsuitable (S4), and not suitable (N1). As a result, only 3.37% of sites have been identified as highly suitable (S1) for future residential urban growth. A field survey was conducted, which has justified that the highly suitable (S1) locations were ecologically delineated. This work will help in the adoption of this method or the usage of the designated area for new urban development projects by policy makers, stakeholders, planners, and the government.