URBAN DEVELOPMENT: HOW AGRICULTURAL LAND USE IS CHANGING?

Abstract

Changing human needs lead to a changing landscape and land use. Recent years have seen active urban sprawl, infrastructure development projects and intensive urban expansion. These processes have a direct impact on agricultural land, some of which is being taken out of active farming and converted to other uses. Changes in land use are reflected in the annual statistics on agricultural land and crop declarations, which show a decrease in the number of applications and the areas declared. The impact of urbanization is not only visible in urban areas, but also in rural areas, where, as residential areas expand, some rural areas are becoming increasingly urbanized, losing their traditional agricultural functions. The aim of this research is to analyze how agricultural land use is changing under the influence of urban development and to identify the main trends and consequences of these processes over the period 2015–2024. The study applies GIS-based spatial and statistical analysis using GIS software to explore the relationship between urban growth and the decline of agricultural areas.