Comparative Analysis of Urban Land Cover Changes: A Case Study of İzmir, Türkiye, and Naples, Italy

IV. International Architectural Sciences and Applications Symposium, Girne, Kıbrıs (Kktc), 30 - 31 Mayıs 2024, ss.1069-1083, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

Urban environments are continually shaped by the complex interplay of various factors such as planning process and

urbanization. While in European cities this change is mainly due to the need for transport infrastructure, cultural

preferences, and economic growth related to logistic and commercial sectors, rather than demographic dynamics, in

Türkiye, especially in metropolitan areas, increasing population and economic activities affect land use, resulting in

the replacement of the agricultural regions, green spaces, and vacant lands with urban structures such as residential

areas, commercial centers, industrial zones, and infrastructure facilities. This study aims to comparatively examine

the changes in land cover in Türkiye's İzmir city and Italy's Naples city. Urban Atlas Land Cover/Land Use (UA

LC/LU) data obtained from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service for 2012 and 2018 were used for this purpose.

Spatial changes in Antalya and Naples cities were extracted and comparatively analyzed. The study found that land

cover/land use changes in Naples showed less variation compared to the development and urbanization observed in

Izmir. Adopting Italy's urban planning objectives, which include urban regeneration and green infrastructure

approaches, in Türkiye would support the creation of resilient, sustainable cities in coastal areas against flood risks

and other disasters. This study has provided significant insights for policymakers in planning sustainable land use

and has encouraged progress in this field.