Measuring the patterns of urban spatial growth of coastal cities in developing countries by geospatial metrics

The main objective of the paper is to understand the spatial behavior and structure of coastal cities based on their socioeconomic development levels quantitatively. The geospatial metrics were used to describe the urban growth patterns in cities of İzmir, Kocaeli, Antalya, Tekirdağ, Mersin, Samsun, Çanakkale, Giresun, and Sinop in Turkey. The land-use data was obtained from satellite imagery of 1987s, 2000s, and 2015s. The results indicate that as the socioeconomic level of coastal cities increases, urban patterns become more complex and their centrality decreases. The linear growth along the road increases, while the linear growth along coast is decreasing. While the coastal city in the lower-level development has more dynamic behavior, the one in upper-level development has stabilized effects. The density, as a key policy indicator in urban spatial growth, has impressively contributed to the interpretation of the spatial behaviors. The results are significant for decision-makers to support appropriate strategies for sustainable land use and rethinking land use policies of coastal cities.