Gas Stations in the City of Mukalla and the Spatial Suitability of Their Distribution Using Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

The research aims to identify the suitability of gas stations in the city of Mukalla to local planning standards, in terms of their locations, their adequacy to meet the needs of the population, their spatial differences, and their distribution pattern, and to identify suitable and unsuitable stations that meet these standards, with a proposal for suitable places to build stations in the future.The research used the descriptive analytical approach and relied mainly on geographic information systems technology in the spatial analysis of the distribution of gas stations, spatial suitability analysis, and the best locations for building new stations. The research concluded with the following important results:The regular clustered distribution pattern is the dominant one in the distribution of gas stations in the city of Mukalla.The spatial distribution of gas stations varies across the city's neighborhoods, with some neighborhoods being devoid of service. The absence of the optimal population size per station criterion in the geographical distribution of most gas stations, in terms of crowding of some stations or their spacing. A number of stations are located in service complexes containing commercial markets, restaurants, and hotels. This violates the standard regarding the distance separating stations from residential buildings and shops, as well as the condition regarding the distance between stations themselves. A number of gas stations violate the standard of distance from intersections and certain facilities, such as schools, hospitals, and gas sales centers, out of the total number of stations. Some stations demonstrate moderate spatial suitability out of the total number of stations. The research proposed new locations that comply with planning standards for the construction of new gas stations.