KONYA CITY URBAN SPRAWL AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION RELATION

Konya is the biggest city of Turkey with respect to surface area which covers 5% of total surface area of Turkey. Moreover, population of the city is increasing day by day with immigrations and births. This extreme growth of population causes some problems in city planning and urban development. Urban sprawl is one of the most significant consequences of wrong urban planning in order to provide demand of settlement. It is defined as insatiable and inefficient use of land with continuous monotonous development and discontinues rapid development. Urban sprawl has seen mostly at the centre districts of Konya (Meram, Karatay, Selçuklu) and around Seydişehir ring road. This sprawl problem of Konya city has many effects on humans and also environment. These effects include both social and economic aspects. For example, increasing air pollutants because of the urban sprawl and unplanned settlement may create health problems on people and spoil air quality of the city. Destruction of ecological life and natural environment, pollution in rivers and streams are some of the other environmental problems caused by urban sprawl. In this study, environmental pollution originating from urban sprawl problem in Konya city was investigated and possible recommendations to solve urban sprawl problem was explained.