Urban growth model with cellular automata method based on GIS: Ankara example

Expansion of urban areas due to increasing of urban population all over the world affect people and natural environment within whole geographical perspective. The significant increase seen in urban population of countries brings non-recoverable results along. For this reason, it is very important to understand growth and spatial structure of the city for appropriate development of the city in the future. The purpose of this study is to create a simulation method providing a better understanding of urban development dynamics of Ankara which is the second greatest city of Turkey and putting forward the future development of the city by means of Cellular Automata method and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Cellular Automata has a spread use today because of its roles in understanding change in the city, an effective environmental planning, development plans, establishing urban policies, city and region planners’ and politicians’ predicting possible development of the future of the city and helping its development. After being the capital city of Turkey, Ankara witnessed a fast urban growth and urbanization process. The results indicate that urban expansion will continue in future, and model reveals how urban growth prediction for 2032 will change in spatial form.