Modelling Land Cover Changes in Peri-Urban Areas: A Case Study of George Town Conurbation, Malaysia

A GIS-Cellular Automata model, FutureSim, accurately predicts land cover changes and urban growth boundaries (UGB) with over 74% accuracy, offering a tool for sustainable urban planning. Applied to George Town Conurbation in Malaysia, the study demonstrates how transition rules derived from historical data (2010–2018) can simulate future scenarios—compact growth versus urban sprawl—up to 2030. This approach provides policymakers with evidence-based insights for managing peri-urban expansion, balancing development needs while mitigating environmental and social impacts in rapidly urbanizing regions.

Samat, N., Mahamud, M. A., Tan, M. L., Maghsoodi Tilaki, M. J., & Tew, Y. L. (2020). Modelling Land Cover Changes in Peri-Urban Areas: A Case Study of George Town Conurbation, Malaysia. Land, 9(10), 373. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9100373