Quantifying urban physical growth types in Banda Aceh City after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

Abstract

Banda Aceh was the most affected city by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. This city has grown rapidly because of disaster recovery activities. Therefore, this study aims to identify the types of urban physical growth in Banda Aceh City quantitatively from 2005 to 2019. The characteristics of growth were identified by integrating geographic information systems and remote sensing. The analysis showed that the main types of urban physical growth in the city were edge-expansion in 2005-2009 and infilling in 2009-2019. The percentage of spontaneous growth area was the lowest in both periods. The process of reconstruction and rehabilitation was considered to greatly affect the types of urban physical growth, where newly built-up areas were established close to the existing built-up areas. This also caused urban densification in a relatively short time. The process of urbanization had reached a stable stage in the city so that the surrounding suburbs have the potential to experience regional transformation. Overall, the approach used in this study resulted in a more objective understanding of identifying the urban physical growth characteristics for better urban planning.