An Analysis of the Konya's Urbanized Fertile Agricultural Lands and Urban Sprawl

The combination of an increasing world population and technological advancements has led to rapid urbanization. The expansion of urban areas has caused many environmental problems. Cities create air, water and soil pollution. Urban sprawl has started to put pressure on forests, water resources, and fields that surround urban areas. This pressure also affects agricultural land, which is essential for human survival and supports a main economic activity. The loss of productive agricultural lands has economic and ecological consequences. The loss of fertile lands reduces a region's capacity to feed itself and makes it dependent on others. This study will focus on Konya, which has grown rapidly and lost agricultural lands as a result. Its urban area expanded greatly after the 1950s. After the 1970s, a large amount of agricultural land, approximately 15,000 hectares, was urbanized due to urban sprawl. During this period, fertile agricultural lands, especially in the southern and western part of the city, were urbanized. After 1960, plans were developed with the aim to protect agricultural lands, but success has not been achieved due to a lack of economic solutions.