Spatial suitability for urban sustainable densification in a borderland city

Abstract

The traditional approach to pursuit of sustainable urban development involves an integrated, long-term planning process based on a series of environmental, economic, equity and livability societal values, for creating healthy and prosperous communities that not only meet the physical needs but also the aspirations of their residents. Urban land plays a central role as the material basis of this process; therefore, assessing its suitability for livable and sustainable conditions is critical in contemporary cities. The efficiency of different urban density and centralization patterns, making livable communities demands to avoid oppressively dense or overly scattered and fragmentary development was discussed. In this research, land suitability for urban densification in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, based on a spatial multi criteria analysis (SMCA) of environment, economy, equity and livability variables were assessed. The result model for each group variables showed that suitable areas for densification are associated with the consolidated part of the city. The main variables affecting suitability distribution in an integrated model were distance of public transportation routes, location of poverty zones and land values. Selecting potential areas for densification derived from this analysis requires appropriate strategies for affordable, diverse and accessible housing provision, which contributes to the creation of livable sustainable communities. Key words: Urban densification, spatial multi criteria analysis, land suitability.