UNDERSTANDING THE PAST, MANAGING THE FUTURE – Remotely sensed analysis of the urban sprawl of Istanbul for supporting decision making for a sustainable future

The GIS based analysis of the land use change of Istanbul delivers a huge and comprehensive database that can be used for further analysis. Trend analysis and scenarios enable a view to the future that highlights the needs for a proper planning. Also the understanding via comparison to other cities assists in order not to copy errors from other cities. GIS in combination with ancillary data open a wide field for managing the future of Istanbul