<![CDATA[Rapid urbanization globally has intensified the need for sustainable administrative partitioning, yet spatial methodologies are rarely integrated into governance feasibility frameworks. While regional proliferation in Indonesia is traditionally dictated by administrative, demographic, and financial thresholds, it heavily lacks spatial-functional evaluation regarding land suitability and growth capacity. A critical gap remains in combining quantitative spatial modeling with policy-driven institutional assessments to determine the true spatial readiness of emerging autonomous regions. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the Jatinangor Urban Area as a candidate for a New Autonomous Region (DOB) through spatial modeling that combines urban growth data, spatial structure, development suitability, and institutional readiness. Urban change are derived from land cover data from 2017 to 2025 analyzed using Sentinel-2 imagery and the Random Forest algorithm, while projections for 2035 are analyzed using Cellular Automata–Markov. Moran’s I and LISA analyses are used to identify spatial clustering patterns and core–periphery city structures. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to model development suitability, synthesized through Spatially-Informed SWOT. The results show rapid and uneven urban transformation spatially, with built-up areas increasing from 57.30 km² (2017) to 76.68 km² (2025), and projected to reach 83.53 km² (2035), accompanied by a decrease in agricultural land. A total of 6,104.46 hectares are highly suitable for growth center development, mainly concentrated along the Jatinangor–Cimanggung corridor and part of Pamulihan. Sukasari and similar peripheral zones still struggle with natural constraints. From an administrative view, Jatinangor actually clears the requirements for DOB establishment, but the spatial data shows a different situation. The functional readiness is highly uneven. We found a clear core-periphery gap where public facilities and economic power are centered in one place, leaving the outer areas behind in terms of access. This study recommends that the feasibility of a DOB is not only about meeting administrative requirements but must also be understood spatially to ensure functional integration, equitable service distribution, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability.]]>
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