Trends in urbanization and patterns of land use in the Asian mega cities Jakarta, Bangkok, and Metro Manila

Asian mega cities have experienced rapid population growth and continue to grow. Urbanization in those areas is proceeding differently from the patterns of city growth experienced in Western countries. Understanding the characteristics of Asian urbanization will be indispensable for the establishment of a local landscape planning system. In this study, we used the Clark linear exponential model and the Newling quadratic exponential model to compare the spatial distribution of population densities in three Southeast Asian mega cities: Jakarta, Bangkok, and Metro Manila. We analyzed land-use patterns in each of the three cities by examining the mixture of urban and agricultural land use. The Clark and Newling models showed that the three cities were at different stages of urbanization. Jakarta had entered the suburbanization stage, Metro Manila was still at an early stage of urbanization, and Bangkok was at an intermediate stage between Jakarta and Metro Manila. Analysis of spatial patterns revealed areas of mixed land use within and around the city region in the three cities and that these areas of mixed land use would shift outward as urbanization proceeds. These findings indicate that planning concepts need to respect the vernacular landscape of each Asian mega cities as well as its stage of urbanization.