During the last decade, there has been a rapid increase in the research literature dealing with the measurement of urban sprawl. Density gradients, sprawl indexes, and certain simulation techniques are some of the quantitative measures that have been used in previous studies. Fractal analysis has also been applied in describing urban areas and a fractal theory of cities has been proposed. This study attempts to measure urban sprawl using an index relating density and proximity and relating this to the fractal analysis of urban sprawl using the example of Istanbul, a large city that hitherto has not been measured or characterized using such techniques. Measures of sprawl were calculated at each neighbourhood level and then integrated within an index using ‘density’ and ‘proximity’ factors. This identifies the pattern of urban sprawl during six time slices defining five periods from 1975 to 2005. The urban form of Istanbul is then quantified through fractal analysis in the given years in the context of the dynamics of urban growth. Our findings suggest that the fractal dimension of urban form is positively correlated with the urban sprawl index when urban growth is more likely to be ‘concentrated’. This is in contrast to a negative relationship which is observed between the fractal dimension and the sprawl index when the urban growth pattern has a more dispersed, semilinear form.

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Purpose Residential satisfaction can be viewed as a part of life satisfaction. There are many studies related to the relationship between residents’ satisfaction with their environments and the quality of those environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine how this satisfaction differs according to the type of residential environment. Design/methodology/approach It is based on empirical data on the quality of life in the different residential environments of the Istanbul Metropolitan Area. The primary source of information was a household survey. Findings In an attempt to find solutions to problems with the quality of residential environments, the data were analyzed through several variables related to the subjective perceptions of residential satisfaction. According to the results of the research, residents living in planned neighborhoods in the city are more satisfied than those living in unplanned neighborhoods. The residents who live in the planned sections of the city are satisfied with the attractiveness and accessibility of their neighborhoods, while those who live in unplanned sections of the city are satisfied with their level of attachment to their neighborhoods. Practical implications The study was designed to produce baseline data so that future changes in residential conditions as perceived by the residents of Istanbul could be monitored to support decisions for residential areas. Originality/value Comparative case studies, especially on planned vs unplanned environments, are relatively limited in number. Therefore, there is a need for new researches examining differences between different residential settings within cities. This study adds value to the field of comparative studies on residential environments.

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