Urban Expansion and Its Impacts: A Sustainable Development Perspective for the City of Al Ajaylat

Abstract

This research examines the role of sustainable development in mitigating the effects of increasing urban sprawl in the city of Ajilat, in light of rapid population growth and unregulated urban expansion. It employs a spatial and temporal analysis of the growth of urban areas during the period 2000–2020, along with an analysis of the factors influencing this growth and its various impacts. The results show that weak urban planning and limited application of sustainability indicators have contributed to the proliferation of unplanned urban development, the deterioration of infrastructure and services, and the escalation of environmental and traffic problems, as well as a decline in the quality of the urban environment. The research emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable urban planning as a primary approach to mitigating these impacts.