Sustainability Status of the SoBurbang Agropolitan Area in Bangkalan District Based on Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS)

Despite agriculture being the backbone of Indonesia's economy, rural poverty remains a significant challenge due to low productivity, limited market access, and unstable commodity prices. The agropolitan concept, which integrates the agricultural sector with other economic activities such as processing industry and tourism, is proposed as a solution to improve rural welfare. Designated as an Agropolitan Area since 2005, Bangkalan Regency is being developed to support food and horticultural commodities. This study employs Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Rapfish software to evaluate the sustainability of the region across environmental, economic, social, technological, infrastructural, and policy dimensions. The SoBurbang Agropolitan Area's development ranges from less than sustainable to quite sustainable, with a sustainability index of 41.45-57.58 percent. Environmental sustainability is hindered by high land conversion rates. Economically, despite market and technological opportunities, capital access remains challenging. Social and policy factors significantly influence sustainability, while technological and infrastructural aspects require further enhancement. This study underscores the need for integrated development strategies to boost the sustainability of agropolitan areas. The validated model, with a high accuracy level, serves as a foundation for future sustainable development strategies.