EMPLOYING SPATIAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ANALYZING AGRICULTURAL LAND USES IN URBAN AREAS: THE CASE OF AL-KARRADA EAST
Abstract
One of the most significant urban elements that contribute to enhancing the quality of environmental life and improving the urban environment is urban agriculture, which plays a vital environmental and social role in the urban life of cities. One of the major challenges facing the technology dissemination of urban agriculture is the methodology for selecting suitable sites for it, and how to choose the right type of urban agriculture for each area. This is because promoting urban agriculture is linked to two factors: the first is the social benefit it achieves, and the second is the economic aspect represented in its sustainable maintenance. Therefore, solving this problem involves effective spatial analysis of the urban potential of each area, to achieve the research objective through an efficient and effective selection process for urban agricultural sites within the urban area's capabilities. The research assumes that adopting spatial analysis techniques will effectively help in increasing the spread and improving the efficiency of urban agriculture in cities.
The study area was chosen in the Al-Karrada sector within Baghdad, Iraq, which is characterized by increasing density of various urban uses and population density, along with the encroachment of built-up areas on the green spaces in the region. By adopting spatial analysis techniques, including satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the study area was analyzed based on spatial indicators for urban agriculture to develop a suitable strategy for this area to choose sites for urban agriculture that are beneficial socially, economically, and environmentally at the same time. The research found that the transformation of many orchards and agricultural lands into residential, commercial, urban spaces, and other uses has led to a reduction in orchards and open urban spaces in the study area, negatively affecting the environmental, aesthetic, and economic aspects of the region. Therefore, it is important to recommend working on increasing the spread of urban agriculture and employing effective spatial analysis of urban potentials for each area for an efficient selection of urban agriculture sites.
