Assessment of suitability for settlement based on geological and geotechnical studies: The case of Kütahya (center)

This study aims to analyze the suitability of Kutahya Central District for settlement through the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm. Within this scope, the geotechnical and topographic characteristics of the region were evaluated together; spatial analyses were performed to determine safe and sustainable settlement areas from an engineering geology perspective. Parameters such as seismic wave velocities (Vp, Vs), standard penetration test (N..) values, topographic slope, and elevation were used in the analysis process. The spatial distribution of these data was determined in a GIS environment, then normalized within the created microzones and classified using the KNN model. In addition, the predict_proba method evaluated in the KNN modeling process was used to calculate the probabilities of each sample belonging to the relevant class; thus, it was possible to divide the identified priority areas into subgroups within themselves. The results obtained reveal that areas with low slope and high ground strength are highly suitable for settlement, while loose soils with alluvial characteristics and low wave velocity are classified as low suitability. It was determined that the integration of the CBS-based KNN approach with the predict_proba method can be used as an effective decision support tool in settlement planning, engineering geology, and disaster risk reduction applications.