Investigating changes in land cover in high-density settlement areas by protected scenario

Abstract

Uncontrolled urban growth is one of the most prominent problems in modern urbanism and planning. Rapid urbanization and population growth cause changes in land cover. In addition, determining the effects of these changes is essential in terms of sustainable urban management policies. Urban growth is a complex, dynamic structure that initiates changes in land cover. For this reason, simulation models are used extensively in planning studies. In this study, land cover simulation of the Sancaktepe district in Istanbul was carried out with the SLEUTH model based on cellular automata (CA). The study aims to identify the damage caused by uncontrolled urbanization. In this context, a scenario was created based on the assumption that forests will be protected based on the changes in land cover that occurred between 1961- 2014. The data used in the model were generated from cadastral maps on a parcel basis. For this purpose, four-period data sets (1961-1992-2001-2014) were prepared between 1961- 2014. According to the simulation results, 82% of agricultural land, 2% of forest land and 84% of open land will probably be converted into residential use. According to the results, it has been determined that almost all of the open and agricultural land in the towns of Pasakoy and Samandira in the district of Sancaktepe have been converted into residential areas. According to the prediction that the changes in current land cover will continue, no change is expected in forests, while it has been determined that the potential to transform agricultural land and open land into settlement areas is quite high.