Urbanisation and suburban housing development are the foci subjects of this thesis. The process of urbanisation may differ from one country to another in terms of socio-economic and political structures, environmental characteristics and also local features. In this context, housing areas at the urban fringe of Ankara were found to have been developed highly compatible with urban land use theories / but different from the process experienced in developed countries. In this thesis, a different dimension of suburbanisation has been discussed with regards to middle and lower-middle income groups&rsquo / suburban movement. The reasons why lower-middle and lower income residents prefer to live at the urban fringe have been found out. Suburban developments have various opportunities for the households such as larger housing unit due to cheap and available land, better urban services, quiet and clean environment and privacy. However, households living in urban fringe who are relatively from middle and lower-middle income are subject to high transportation cost. It is expected that they make a trade off between lower housing units and greater commuting distances and also many opportunities of living in such a suburb. With regard to these, the process of suburbanisation of middle and lower-middle income groups in Ankara within the boundaries of Sincan and Etimesgut Quarters in terms of their social characters and the features of using their urban space and house is discussed according to plan decisions, house builder and households&rsquo / characteristics, urban development pattern of Turkey and Ankara and then Etimesgut and Sincan, considering the theoretical basis and historical process.

Urban land prices have important effects on urban development and locational distribution of land-uses. Housing is one of those sectors. There are high-density residential areas covering high-rise apartments at the city center where the land prices are quite high. Here, sizes of the plots and the housing units are relatively small. However, land prices begin to decrease with the increasing distance from the city center and the production of low-density, low-rise housing which is economically unfeasible at the center turns to be feasible for the housebuilders at the outskirts. Low-rise houses at the urban fringe provides various opportunities for the households. In these areas, plots and housing units are relatively larger due to cheap and available land. In addition to this, better urban services, quiet and clean environment as well as privacy contribute to create a livable urban environment. However, households living in low-rise housing units are subject to high transportation and maintenance costs. It is expected that they would compensate these costs with larger housing units, prestigious urban environment and many opportunities that their neighborhoods offer. Urbanization processes may be differ from one country to another with respect to the socio-economic and political structures, and the environmental characteristics. In that sense, low-rise housing areas at the urban fringe of Ankara were found to be developed highly compatible with urban land use theories / but different from the processes experienced in developed countries, to some extent. With regard to these, low-rise housing development in Ankara is discussed according to plan decisions, housebuilders, households and urban development pattern, considering the theoretical basis and historical processes.