Paving the Path to Poverty Alleviation: How Strategic Infrastructure Enhancement and Controlled Sprawl Can Reshape Urban Development

This research employs a big data methodology to develop a Physical Infrastructure Index (PII) utilizing Points of Interest (POI) and create an urban sprawl index. The study investigates the correlation between physical infrastructure, urban sprawl, and poverty, providing policy recommendations for urban development. The model explains 46.7% of the variation and demonstrates a robust correlation, characterized by low error rates (RMSE of 0.13, MAE of 0.08, and MAPE of 4.48%). The findings validate that enhancing infrastructure and regulating urban growth are efficacious ways for alleviating urban poverty, consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.