SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSES OF URBAN EXPANSION OF GOMBE METROPOLIS

Abstract

In recent decades urbanization and consequential expansion of urban areas have become the central focus 
of development agenda. This phenomenon continues to attract considerable amount of interests from 
academia and overall global, regional and national socio-economic planning. The study used geospatial 
data comprising of four Land sat satellite imageries of the study area covering the entire period of this 
research (starting from 1999, 2006, 2011 and 2023). Furthermore, for the purpose of this study, Gombe 
metropolis was divided into four sections, ABC and D for easy analysis. In order to study and measure the 
trend in urban spatial and temporal expansion, satellite imageries of Gombe metropolis for the years 
1999, 2011 and 2023 were downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USCS) Earth explorer 
website www.usgs.gov. The Geospatial data which concerns the attributes of the study area was analyzed 
using ArcGIS 10.5 and classified in to non-built-up areas and bare surfaces and water bodies. The 
findings of this study reveals that, the built-up area has shown the most dramatic growth, with a shift from 
25% to 53% over the 24-year period and farmland had experienced the largest decline, suggesting land 
conversion to urban or other non-agricultural uses. The findings also show that the reduction in vegetation 
and slight decline in rock outcrop indicate environmental impacts of human activities. The study concluded 
that Gombe metropolis has experienced significant urban growth in the past two decades, primarily driven 
by population growth, economic activities, and migration. It was also recommended that, there is a critical 
need for better urban planning policies to ensure sustainable growth.