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The rapid industrialization and urbanization of an area require quick preparation of actual land use/land cover (LU/LC) maps in order to detect and avoid overuse and damage of the landscape beyond sustainable development limits. Remote sensing technology fits well for long-term monitoring and assessment of such effects. The aim of this study was to analyze LU/LC changes between 1980 and 1999 in Samsun, Turkey, using satellite images. Three Landsat images from 1980, 1987 and 1999 were used to determine changes. A post classification technique was used based on a hybrid classification approach (unsupervised and supervised). Images were classified into six LU/LC types; urban, agriculture, dense forest, open forest-hazelnut, barren land and water area. It is found that significant changes in land cover occurred over the study period. The results showed an increase in urban, open forest/hazelnut, barren land and water area and a decrease in agriculture and dense forest in between 1980 and 1999. In this period, urban land increased from 0.77% to 2.47% of the total area, primarily due to conversions from agricultural land and forest to a lesser degree. While the area of dense forest decreased from 41.09% to 29.64% of the total area, the area of open forest and hazelnut increased from 6.73% to 11.88%.

Electric vehicles arouse interest since they not only contribute economies of countries in the context of dependency to oil but also support to more livable and sustainable urban areas. The location selection of electric vehicle charging stations is one of the most vital topics in order to enhance the use of electric vehicles. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to propose an approach that integrates Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods for finding suitable locations of the electric vehicle charging stations. In this regard, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) methods are used to calculate the weights of criteria. While the two different weights for each criterion are obtained by means of AHP in terms of environmental impact and accessibility, another weight for each criterion is obtained as a means of applying the FAHP. The intersection of three different suitability indexes is determined so as to achieve a holistic, credible result. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to rank the alternative locations. The results show that the proposed approach offers a notable solution to be selected suitable charging station locations. Moreover, policymakers and administrators could benefit from these results in order to make efficient decisions for forward planning and strategies.

Cancer is an important health issue in Turkey because it ranks as the second cause of death in the country. Examination of the relationships between the distribution of cancer cases and geo-environmental factors is significant in determining the causes of cancer. In this study, GIS were used to provide data about the distribution of cancer types in Trabzon province, Turkey. To determine the cancer occurrence density, the cancer incidence rates were calculated according to local census data, then a cancer density map was produced, and correlations between cancer types and geographical factors were examined.

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In accordance with current demands, the natural gas transmission pipeline (NGTP) is one of the most appropriate methods used in the distribution of existing reserves. Construction of long-distance pipelines requires large expenditures. Decreasing the time and cost of such construction and minimising environmental damage depend upon identifying the optimum routes from the onset of the project. Route determination is one of the most important steps in NGTP projects. The route determination process requires obtaining the existing graphic and non-graphic data from different institutions and organisations, as well as gathering, storing, querying and analysing non-existing data in an appropriate and efficient manner. Accessing the correct results rapidly by analysing such large data-sets can be achieved with spatial multicriteria decision-making technologies based on the geographic information system as an effective decision support tool. In this study, three methods were implemented for two NGTP projects of 103.60 and 60.89 km in length. At the end of this study, it was concluded that Spatial technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution was the most effective of the three pipeline routing methods and that it could reduce project costs by approximately 21%.

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