Urban land-use suitability analysis — A case study of Calcutta Metropolitan Area

Urban land-use zoning analysis has been carried out to evaluate the suitability of land for urbanisation i.e. a process of assessing the fitness of different land characteristics (soils, physiography, slope, land use etc.) for urban development in Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) area (1350 sq. km). Remote sensing data in conjunction with Survey of India maps and ancillary data have been employed for the analysis. A GIS-based methodology has been developed for the integration of different physical parameters and generation of urban land development units. In all 82 Urban Land Development Units (ULDUs) were delineated and evaluated with respect to physical constraints and the degree to which each class could limit the development for urban purpose. These ULDUs are categorised into five suitability classes for urban use. The relationships between ULDU classes, suitabilities and urban land development considerations in a generalised form have also been assessed. It has been observed that the physical constraints have become progressively greater from class-I to class-V meaning thereby that the cost for the developing the area for urban purpose increases from class-I and becomes uneconomic for class-V. The suitability map prepared using this methodology would also serve as a sub-set for the preparation of a Master plan of the city.