Abstract

Urban Land Use Changes Detection and Mapping in Butare Town
Track: Urban and Regional Planning
Authors: NDUWAYEZU GILBERT

This research examines how Geospatial Techniques can be used in urban land use changes detection using Butare Town as case study. Based on research findings, a range of conclusions are drawn but the main one is that the dominant land use change detected in Ngoma was the conversion of agriculture and woodland areas into built-up area. This urban encroachment on surrounding lands is explained by many factors such as infrastructure improvement, seeking for security, near workplace; affordable lands and housing, and emergency needs in housing especially after the genocide with homeless and returning refugees (the population growth increased gradually between 1994 and 2002). Seeking the driven forces for land use changes in entire Butare Town is one the prominent recommendations for further researches.