Urban agriculture as a land-use policy instrument for protecting peri-urban agricultural land: A grid-based analysis from Erzurum, Türkiye

Uncontrolled urban expansion places increasing pressure on natural resources and poses a significant threat to agricultural production. The loss of agricultural land negatively affects food security and ecosystem services, while rising carbon emissions further exacerbate environmental challenges. In this context, the protection of fertile agricultural lands surrounding cities is critical for sustainable food production. Urban agriculture has emerged as an alternative approach that supports local food production, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. This study examines the suitability of agricultural lands located on the urban fringe of Erzurum for urban agriculture as a response to urban sprawl. The study area, covering selected neighbourhoods in the western part of Erzurum, was divided into 1 × 1 km grid cells. Spatial analyses were conducted for each grid cell based on seven main parameters and twenty-three sub-criteria. An agricultural suitability synthesis map was generated according to the cumulative impact scores derived from these parameters. Rather than limiting the analysis to suitability identification, the spatial results were translated into eight planning-oriented urban agriculture typologies targeting different user groups by integrating suitability outcomes with existing land-use and functional characteristics. The findings indicate that 848 ha of land in Erzurum’s urban periphery exhibit very high suitability for urban agriculture, while 1385 ha demonstrate high suitability. Overall, the study demonstrates that urban agriculture can function as a strategic land-use policy instrument by linking spatial suitability assessment with typology-based planning approaches, thereby supporting peri-urban land protection and guiding statutory planning decisions in secondary cities such as Erzurum.