Land Use Planning for Sustainable Urban Developments and Long-term Availability of Agricultural Land

This study was carried out to formulate a plan to protect the agricultural land from urban expansion for selected area within Zarqa River Basin in Jordan. The potential land suitability for agriculture use, urban development, forest and range was determined in order to allocate the best land use by indicating which areas of land are most valuable for agricultural use. First priority was given for allocation of land to agricultural use since lands suitable for rainfed and irrigated crops within the study area are limited, so that, land classified as highly or moderately suitable for any land utilization type was allocated for agricultural use. Second priority was given for allocation of land to urban expansion. Future urban expansion is expected to take place at the expense of agricultural land if such land is not protected. To provide guidance for protection of agricultural land, area recommended for urban expansion includes land classified as marginally and unsuitable for agricultural use, this land was reclassified as first and second priority for urban expansion. First priority for urban expansion includes land that was classified as unsuitable for agricultural use and the slope is less than 8%. Second priority for urban expansion includes land that was classified as marginally suitable for agricultural use and the slope of land is less than 16% or unsuitable for agricultural use and the slope between 8% and 16%. The location of the area recommended for urban expansion was selected within regulated area, within municipalities’ boundaries, and outside the municipalities’ boundaries. Allocation of land for forest and range included lands that were classified as marginally and unsuitable for agricultural use outside area recommended for urban expansion, such area was classified later as highly or moderately suitable for forest and range utilization. The final land use allocation map was prepared based on land suitability analysis that includes: (1) Area that should be retained as a zone for agricultural use and to be protected from urban expansion covers about 51931 ha (36 % of the study area). (2) Area recommended for urban expansion, this area was determined in order to control the future urban expansion within this area which covers about 54650 ha (38% of the study area). (3) Area available for forest and range covers about 20700 ha (14% of the study area); this area was selected outside area to be protected for agricultural use or recommended for urban expansion.