Modeling Urban Growth Dynamics using Cellular Automata and GIS

Managing and modelling urban growth is a multi-faceted problem. Cities are now recognised as complex systems through which non-linear and dynamic processes, emergence and self-organisation occur. The design of a system that can handle these complexities is a challenging prospect. This paper presents an urban planning tool for the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At the core of the system is a Fuzzy Cellular Automata Urban Growth Model (FCAUGM) which is generally capable of simulating and predicting the complexities of urban growth. This model was shown to be capable of replicating the trends and characteristics of an urban environment, in this case the city of Riyadh.