Xiamen, China  Under the multiple interactions between increasing population, built-up area expansion and industrialisation, areas undergoing rapid urbanisation are highly dynamic. The mixture of activities and fragmented land use can result in chaotic development,which might lead to agreement on land suitability evaluation is a basis for making land-use decisions. In this paper, an evaluation model of multi-criteria residential site suitability was developed to analyse suitable areas for habitation using a GIS platform. The health of residents, convenience of travel and amenity living standards were all considered in a health, convenience and amenity sub-model system. Evaluation of patches adjacent to existing built-up areas is considered reliable and construction in these areas is more economical due to the sharing of public facilities. The model evaluation result in Jimei District showed that areas adjacent to Xinglinwan Bay, near to built-up areas and far from industrial estates, were most suitable sites for future development. Furthermore, it is suggested that this form of evaluation be performed regularly in rapidly developing regions to ensure validity and continuity.