dc.description.abstract | Urban managers and planners alike are concerned about the occurrence of urban sprawl in cities because of the myriad problems associated with such a phenomenon, First and foremost , urban sprawl takes place in prime agricultural and rural land outside the fringe area, of the cities and, therefore, causing land wastes and a reduction to agricultural production. The conversion of agriculture land to urban uses also complicates the already chronic problem of food shortages in the less developed countries (LDC~), Secondly, land use development in the areas where urban sprawl takes place, often occurs without the discipline of planning and, therefore, it is on the fringe areas of the cities where conflicts of land use and in-optimal patial pattern, occur | en |