Analysis of Urban Growth and Land Use Changes in Çankaya District Using Urban Atlas Data

The aim of this study is to monitor the land use/land cover (LULC) changes in Çankaya district. In the study, the LULC changes of Çankaya district between 2012 and 2018 were examined using Urban Atlas data. Continuous urban fabric in Çankaya increased from 632.16 hectares to 644.03 hectares, and discontinuous dense urban fabric increased from 1,735.30 hectares to 1,795.05 hectares. Construction areas saw a significant rise from 122.40 hectares to 666.04 hectares. In contrast, arable lands decreased from 11,844.45 hectares to 11,347.11 hectares, pastures from 2,089.28 hectares to 2,025.83 hectares, and forests from 1,803.52 hectares to 1,793.67 hectares. Additionally, herbaceous vegetation associations reduced from 16,097.70 hectares to 15,666.54 hectares. These changes clearly illustrate the impact of urban expansion on natural and agricultural lands in Çankaya. The results highlight the need to balance urban growth with the conservation of natural and agricultural areas. Future research could benefit from expanding the scope of Urban Atlas data and integrating additional datasets to enable more comprehensive and long-term analyses of urban development. Effective use and management of such high-resolution data are crucial for supporting sustainable urban development.