Multi criteria analysis for locating sustainable suburban centers: A case study from Ramallah Governorate, Palestine

Currently, over 65% of Palestinians live in urban areas, exceeding the international urbanization rate of 50%. The Ramallah Governorate is the most rapidly growing governorate within the Palestinian territory. This accelerating urban growth is accompanied by significant pressure on services, employment opportunities, and accommodations. This study aimed at finding sustainable areas for absorbing urban growth within Ramallah in order to alleviate the pressure on the city center as well as find accommodations for young families looking for better living conditions. This research was conducted in two major phases. Site selection was the first phase, using Geographic Information System (GIS to identify 13 sites according to the determined criteria. In Phase Two, Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) was applied to evaluate these sites considering a set of indicators, which were evaluated and assessed by a wide range of stakeholders. Expert and public participation were included in this study. As a result of consideration of over 20 variables, a site was selected to be the most sustainable place for developing a suburban center within the study area. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.