Applying ArcGIS ModelBuilder to Determination the Suitable Sites for Establishing Basic Schools (Case Study: Eastern Unit - Port Sudan City)

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play an effective role in societal development, including supporting and developing the educational process with essential capabilities characterized by effectiveness, speed, and ease, which help support decision-making. The educational sector in the Eastern Unit - Port Sudan City suffers from randomness and poverty of equitable spatial distribution, therefore, this study was carried out to determine the appropriate sites for establishing new basic schools according to the recommended criteria, consequently, a model was created using model-builder tools and the spatial analyst tools were taken advantage in GIS. The criteria used in the study were obtained from the General Administration of Planning - Ministry of Urban Planning - State of Khartoum - Sudan and a satellite image of the study area was acquired and stratified into several layers that meet the objective and a lot of work was done in the ArcGIS 10.3 program until the best sites were found, and the final best site for a new basic school was determined from them. This shows the effectiveness of the program used in accurately determining the best sites according to international and local standards, which are difficult to access without the help of ArcGIS ModelBuilder, and thus benefit from it in serving the community by equitable distribution of basic schools and the possibility of all students to enroll in them.