Urban Sprawl in Thrace: Case of Corlu

Abstract

Urban sprawl is usually expressed as a process of suburbanization with insufficient and low density on the city's fringes. This process takes different forms and characters. It is characterized by low-density, linear, dispersed, and leapfrogging spatial development on the city's outskirts. Urban sprawl develops in the city as the population grows, income increases and commuting costs decrease. Especially after the widespread use of motorized vehicles, the sprawl process accelerated as city dwellers settled outside the settlement. As a result, land and forests previously used for agricultural activities have been transformed into urban areas. This study focuses on the causes and spatial consequences of sprawl in & Ccedil;orlu, which experienced such a transformation. The historical development and current status of sprawl in the city are presented, and for this purpose, a literature review, aerial photographs, orthophotos, satellite images, topography maps, land use capability, and the CORINE database are used. These data were analyzed with ArcGIS and TerrSet programs to identify areas of urban sprawl. As a result of the investigations, it was understood that urban sprawl in & Ccedil;orlu has developed due to industrialization and low-density settlements shaped by transportation routes, and fertile agricultural lands are gradually turning into urban areas.