Suitability Assessment for New Minia City, Egypt: A GIS Approach to Engineering Geology

Research Article| March 01, 2005 Suitability Assessment for New Minia City, Egypt: A GIS Approach to Engineering Geology Mohamed H. Aly; Mohamed H. Aly 1Department of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3115 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John R. Giardino; John R. Giardino 2Dean of Graduate Studies Office & Department of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3115 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew G. Klein Andrew G. Klein 3Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3147 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (2005) 11 (3): 259–269. https://doi.org/10.2113/11.3.259 Article history first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Mohamed H. Aly, John R. Giardino, Andrew G. Klein; Suitability Assessment for New Minia City, Egypt: A GIS Approach to Engineering Geology. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 2005;; 11 (3): 259–269. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/11.3.259 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract Urban development is a high priority in Egypt. New Minia City, located on the eastern bank of the Nile River, approximately 250 km south of Cairo, is one of 16 new development communities. Urban development in New Minia City may encounter several geo-environmental problems. Karst conditions and structural features in the local heterogeneous bedrock limit its suitability for constructional purposes. In this research, suitability of the area for urban development was assessed using a geographic information systems (GIS)-based approach. A weighted GIS model that incorporated land use/cover, types of soil, karst feature distribution, fracture densities, slopes, distances to major faults and streams, road network, and city boundaries was established to create a map of site suitability for the city. Model weights were developed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach. Current urban land use within New Minia City falls into four classes of suitability. Approximately 7 percent of the area built by 2002 is in the low suitability class, which suggests that the map of site suitability can serve as a reliable base for planning sustainable development in New Minia City. The developed map of site suitability is effective for assessing and revealing ratings of suitability for urban development. Furthermore, the map of suitability provides the foundation for informed decision making in the development of New Minia City. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.