Mapping Urban Growth Through Landscape Expansion Index and Land Use Analysis: Evidence from Western Turkey

This study investigates the dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes along the İzmir-Denizli Highway corridor in western Turkey from 1984 to 2025, utilizing remote sensing techniques and the Landscape Expansion Index (LEI) to analyze urban growth patterns. Employing cloud-free Landsat satellite imagery and the Random Forest classification algorithm within Google Earth Engine, the research identifies and quantifies built-up area expansion over four decades. The findings reveal a significant increase in built-up areas, particularly after 2000, with a total expansion from 45682 hectares in 1984 to 68869 hectares in 2025. The analysis highlights a predominance of edge-expansion growth (71.3%), with outlying growth (27.4%) and minimal infilling growth (1.3%). This trend indicates a shift towards urban sprawl, raising concerns about the sustainability of land use practices. The study underscores the importance of integrating spatial and temporal analyses in urban planning to promote more sustainable development patterns and mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization on the environment.