Proposal of Conservation-Based Planning Approach for Agricultural Areas Designated as Special Project Area (OPA) in Turkey; Example of Mugla Plain

Abstract

Agricultural areas are natural areas that must be protected and maintained in order to provide food, which is the most basic necessity of man. It is observed that agricultural areas are being removed from the industrialization and urbanization processes that are developed within the framework of industrial development oriented economic development policies that started with the Industrial Revolution and then spread to global scale. Especially agricultural areas in the urban fringes are threatened to be used for non-agricultural purposes due to the demand for spatial growth and are opposed to the pressure of settlement. One of the agricultural areas under threat is the Mugla Plain. It is important to protect the Mugla Plain, which is an absolute agricultural land and at the same time constitute part of the natural and cultural landscape of the city, and to sustain the agricultural activities. Mugla Plain is designated as Special Project and Planning Area (OPA) in 1/25.000 Scale Master Plan; it was aimed to develop a project to preserve the original quality of the agricultural character of Plain in this frame. In this article, analyzes and proposals made within the scope of the idea project prepared for the section of Mugla Plain defined as "Special Project and Planning Area" are presented. In the proposals, it was aimed to protect the agricultural quality of the plains and to prevent the spread of the settlement by integrating the plain with the urban residents. Towards achieving this goal, it has been adopted to develop approaches dealt with under the heading of "urban agriculture". Strategies developed in this context include recommendations on the protection and use of agricultural land; Establishment of agricultural development cooperative of Mugla Plain agricultural operators association; reduction of urbanization impact, and integrating the city with the natural landscape of the area.