IDENTIFIYING URBAN FRINGE SPATIAL CHARACTER WITH FRACTAL ANALYSIS: AKHAN, DENİZLİ

Gizem Erdoğan¹

Urban sprawl and density are spatial reflections is surfaced with increasing demand constrain of urban dynamics. The inception of town growth set off urban fringe-belt development. Fractal analysis method is used to define the formal construct of different patterns. Recent 30 years many studies with the fractal aspects explained relations of urban boundaries and the fractal dimension. Urban fringe transformation is more important for determining of urban boundaries. The study assumes that this urbanization fabric can be explained by fractal geometry. A two-phased method is proposed here in which first is fractal dimension is applied to detect spatial discontinuity of study area via different human settlement area, and second is detection of urban pattern changes. Akhan is 7km far from the Denizli city and it is at the side of Denizli Afyon Road. In order to represent the spatial character of the urban fabric of Akhan, which is an urban inner wall, three samples were chosen, and the discontinuity of the urban texture was calculated with a fractal dimension: the first area is at the north of the settlement, second is South at the settlement and the last one in at the center of the settlement. In conclusion, Akhan maintains its compact structure and rural identity has been determined in accordance with fractal analysis.

Keywords
Urban Morphology, Urban Fringe, Fractal Dimension, Akhan, Denizli,