Land Use Patterns in Tubas City: AStudy of Internal Structure

This research study employed Factor Analyses in its study of urban land Use in Tubas City. Results of the Factor Analysis revealed that Four Factors could be utilized in interpreting the internal structure of Tubas City. These Factors were Family Structure, Social Economic Status, Housing Characteristics, And the Average Economical Status. Results of this study indicated that the density of population in Tubas City is unequally distributed. It ranges from 11/person/donum, in the old part of the city to about 0.3/person/donum, in the Al-Sarara area at the outskirts of Tubas. It was found that the average size of the family in Tubas City is less than the average size of the family in West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Tubas city it reaches about 6.2 persons for every family, compared to 6.4 person in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Also the percentage of population (less than 15 years old) is about 44.7% Percent of the sample. The sex ratio is 103/100. With regard to housing characteristics the study revealed that 79% percent of the population in the study area owns their houses with Bolster, about 13 %percent with a Hallmark, and 13% from the houses are Apartments. However this study provided interesting Figures about other housing characteristics, for examples, 24% percent of the houses were built of White stones, while 14 %percent of the houses were built of old stones cut, some time ago. Furthermore variations in housing size were noticed in the study area 35%percent of the houses were less than 120Mz, while 18%percent of the houses have more than 200M2 each. Such Factors Explained 48.3 percent of total variance. It was found that a correlation appeared between the second and the fourth factor, in a way they form the socio economic dimension. This kind of research was applied widely to many western cities to establish theory to describe the internal structure of cities. Non- western cities did not attract the same attention, because of the many obstacles which hinders this research. This study may be considered as a leading research, which can be emulated in the same direction in the Arab World in general and in Palestine, in Particular, and it is hoped that other researches will flow.