DOES URBAN SPRAWL AND SPATIAL PLANNING STRATEGIES AFFECT RURAL SETTLEMENT AND BOUNDARIES IN PENANG?

Abstract

The growing population and demand for urbanisation has led to pressure on rural areas and the natural environment. The crucial issue is protecting the rural areas boundaries which are essential for food security and traditional rural settlements. As paving towards urbanisation due to demand for development and population, the boundaries of rural settlements and boundaries should be protected to ensure the sustainability of the resources for the population. The categorisation of land use data is not consistent and poses several insufficient representations of rural boundaries in Penang. The main objective of this study is to compare the changes of rural boundaries in Penang in 2019 and the mapping of urban areas based on several data. The content analysis was used to compare and triangulate the data to be used for spatial analysis. The findings showed that the most prominent type of village is the traditional village which accounted for 88%. Based on Penang's development priority areas (DPA) until 2030, a total of 20133.83 acres of village, or 52.92%. The village boundaries in Seberang Perai Utara District will be significantly affected, with an area of 7968.89 acres (20.95%). The implication of this study is that protection of traditional villages and fishing villages require attention as most affected areas are traditional villages in Penang due to development direction, with a total area of 18060.61 acres (47.47%).