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Article

The Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use in Emerging Territorial Systems: Case Study Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania

by
Daniel Constantin Diaconu
1,*,
Daniel Peptenatu
1,
Andreea Karina Gruia
1,2,3,
Alexandra Grecu
1,2,3,
Andrei Rafael Gruia
1,4,
Manuel Fabian Gruia
1,4,
Cristian Constantin Drăghici
1,
Aurel Mihail Băloi
1,3,4,
Mihai Bogdan Alexandrescu
5 and
Raluca Bogdana Sibinescu
3
1
Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies (CISA-ICUB), University of Bucharest, 90–92 Panduri Road, Sector 5, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
2
Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, Sector 3, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
3
Doctoral School of Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
4
Graphit Innovation Factory, 34 B Brâncoveanu Street, 220121 Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania
5
Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Administrative Sciences, Spiru Haret University, 7 Turnului Street, 500152 Braşov, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2025, 15(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040406
Submission received: 21 January 2025 / Revised: 11 February 2025 / Accepted: 12 February 2025 / Published: 14 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management)
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Abstract

:
Economic pressure on agricultural land is generating major changes in affected territorial systems. The development of methodologies to analyze the pressure on agricultural land is one of the main concerns regarding food security and how to provide fresh produce to large cities. The methodology used uses the Corine Land Cover database, provided by Copernicus Land Monitoring Services (CLMS), from 1990–2018. Data processing and analysis was performed using the open-source software package QGIS, a process that started by reprojecting the data into the national coordinate reference system Pulkovo 1942(58)/Stereo 70, EPSG: 3844. The methodology used was able to highlight the transformations that have taken place in land use, highlighting when and how the land was transformed. Our results show that quantitative and land-use changes due to the socio-economic pressures generated by the transition to a different type of economy can be highlighted. Urban sprawl has led to dramatic changes in land use, with agricultural land being the category that has seen the largest reductions in area.

1. Introduction

Among the various forms of land use change, urban land expansion is arguably the most visible, irreversible and rapid. This phenomenon is a key driver of numerous environmental and societal changes at different scales [1].
Bucharest’s urban expansion towards the emerging area has led to chaotic development, lack of adequate infrastructure and poor urban planning. Unlike other European cities, which have expanded their urban areas through an integrated approach, Bucharest has expanded uncontrolled, generating major problems of mobility between the urban centre and the new mobility generators, poor quality of life, pollution and rapid changes in the functionality of the territory.
The phenomenon of urban expansion is accompanied by a concomitant loss of agricultural land. The expansion of urban areas frequently occurs at the expense of agricultural land, resulting in considerable losses of cropland, particularly in Asia and Africa, where the lost cropland is highly productive [2,3,4,5]. In China, Southeast Asia, and Europe, for instance, over 60% of urban expansion has entailed the conversion of agricultural land into urban areas [3]. Also, urban expansion has an impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. The transformation of urban landscapes poses a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly in areas of high biodiversity value and tropical regions. This is due to the fragmentation of habitats and the subsequent reduction in biomass and carbon storage [6,7]. The expansion of urban areas also contributes to the fragmentation and reduction in aggregation of ecological lands, such as grasslands, which in turn leads to altered landscape patterns [8] and the loss of vegetated surfaces and water bodies due to urban growth serves to exacerbate the effects of the urban heat island phenomenon, resulting in elevated temperatures in urban areas [9]. The sprawl of built-up areas around Bucharest has contributed to structural changes in biodiversity, with natural areas being heavily affected by uncontrolled development of new residential and production platforms.
The expansion of urban areas is significantly driven by economic growth, with GDP growth contributing to urban sprawl in both developed and developing countries [5,6,10]. In addition, declining urban population densities, particularly evident in India, China, North America, and Europe, have led to more extensive urban land use, with the result that more land is being transformed than is strictly necessary [3].
The impact of urban expansion is subject to variation across different global regions. The highest rates of urban growth are observed in Africa and Asia. However, it is important to note that significant new development also occurs in developed countries [11]. The effective governance and urban planning that are imperative for the sustainable management of urban expansion are further complicated by the challenges posed by unplanned growth. This is especially pertinent in peri-urban areas, where unplanned growth can lead to uncontrolled expansion and substantial changes in land use [4,12]. The expansion of built-up areas around Bucharest without an integrated approach has led to a rethinking of urban planning tools to be adapted to the new challenges.
The issue of agricultural land is one of ongoing concern, due to pressures on the land being constantly present. This is attributable to two main factors. Firstly, over-exploitation leads to deterioration and an inability to produce food. Secondly, industrialisation and urbanisation, which are generated by economic development, also have a detrimental effect. A direct relationship between industrialization, urbanization and changes in the use of agricultural land is identified. The alteration in the utilisation of arable land is intimately associated with human activities. Consequently, a significant proportion of studies accord priority to the investigation of accelerated economic growth, population growth and the urbanisation of rural areas. Various studies have analyzed the layout of agricultural land in relation to metropolitan areas using remote sensing methods and using remote sensing and GIS techniques to achieve this goal, as well as a vegetation index approach to delineate arable land from other land types, as they show different patterns in the infrared and red spectral bands [13,14,15].
The process of urban expansion frequently results in the conversion of agricultural land into urban areas, thereby reducing the availability of arable land for agricultural purposes. This has the potential to result in land fragmentation, a process which has been demonstrated to decrease soil fertility and agricultural revenue and is attributable to the diminution in size of agricultural businesses and an increase in competition for land [16,17]. Furthermore, the encroachment of agricultural activities onto environmentally sensitive areas can compel farmers to cultivate marginal land or encroach on natural forests. Such practices have the capacity to result in environmental degradation and an alteration to carbon dynamics [16]. Agricultural systems are encountering considerable challenges in response to increased demand for resources such as water and energy, a phenomenon that is being exacerbated by urbanisation. These challenges are further compounded by the reduction of the rural workforce and the concomitant increase in production costs, thereby creating a difficult environment in which to maintain agricultural productivity [18,19].
As is evidenced by the preponderance of literature on the subject, the necessity for this analysis is accentuated by the ramifications of the requirement for residential and industrial space, in particular within economies undergoing systemic alterations with regard to governance and ownership. The main contributions include: (1) a comprehensive assessment of the land use process over a long period of time; (2) highlighting the evolution of changes in land use patterns; (3) analyzing the pressures that have led to these changes, all of which are applied on the basis of accessible datasets and easily replicable methodologies. The method can be used to monitor arable land and its change in use. Our quantitative results are of interest to policy-makers to help preserve arable land and investment planning.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

The Bucharest-Ilfov Region is located in the south of Romania and is made up of the Municipality of Bucharest and Ilfov County (Figure 1). The region is one of Romania’s most developed areas. It has a permanent resident population of 1,734,051 (January 2024) and an area of 1804 km2. The Bucharest-Ilfov Region’s network of localities is made up of Bucharest Municipality (Romania’s capital), 8 cities, 32 municipalities and 91 villages. This region is an important economic and administrative center and the most developed region in the country. Bucharest, as the main development pole, attracts significant investments in various sectors, such as services, technology, real estate and trade, contributing to the economic growth of the entire region. Due to this concentration of resources and economic activities, the Bucharest-Ilfov Region stands out as an important engine of the national economy, with a GDP per capita significantly above the national and European average.
The region is situated exclusively in the lowlands, with an altitude between 50 and 120 m. The climate is temperate continental with excessive continental overtones, with hot, dry summers and cold winters dominated by the frequent presence of cold continental air masses.

2.2. Data

The study was based on a Corine Land Cover database, provided by Copernicus Land Monitoring Services (CLMS) and available at https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/corine-land-cover (accessed on 22 November 2024) [20]. The database was used to assess land use change across the study area. Vector datasets in .gpkg format were used for the years, 1990, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018. Corine Land Cover is a frequently used database in land use analysis due to the easy way to access the data, despite some recording errors, the datasets are relevant to highlight land use changes at the scale of analysis of this research. Data processing and analysis was performed using the open-source software package QGIS 3.36.1, a process that started by reprojecting the data into the national coordinate reference system Pulkovo 1942(58)/Stereo 70, EPSG: 3844 (the official system adopted by the National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Advertising-ANCPI). The choice of the QGIS platform was determined by the accessibility of the platform and the relevance of the results obtained. At the same time, the administrative boundary of Ilfov County, provided and downloaded from the NACLR Geoportal, was used to extract the study area. The study area was clipped using the Clip tool in the QGIS Processing toolbox for each year. Once the areas of the study area were clipped, the data containing the use codes and the areas in hectares for the areas marked with these codes were exported in .xlsx format, processed and analyzed to generate the area evolution graph, represented by the Sankey diagram.
JupyterLab 4.3.5, Python 3.13, Pandas 2.2.3 and Plotly 5.24.1 were used in the realization of the Sankey diagram. Data provided by Copernicus Land Monitoring Services were extracted in .xlxs format using JupyterLab in a Python environment with Pandas. Their processing was done taking into account the codes of each use category (Table A1), the values (which represent the area of the specific codes), the color codes (each area has its own color code) and the years from which the data come. The data specified how the codes and values evolved from one land use type to another, allowing us to illustrate how the areas evolved over the specified period. Links between nodes in the diagram represent area values. The color coding was used to show how the area of a specific zone changed to another type of zone. Once the data was prepared, it was used in Plotly to create the Sankey diagram [21]. This chart visualizes the flow of data from one year’s area measurements to the next year’s area measurements, highlighting transitions over time. This type of diagram represents a relevant mapping of processes, illustrating structural changes for each period for which data exists.

3. Results

The urban systems in Romania have registered a spectacular dynamic after 1990, also manifested through aggressive territorial expansion on the emerging systems nearby, where new residential areas have appeared to which the young active population moves every year, both from congested urban areas and from rural areas. The analysis of the urban expansion in the emerging area of Bucharest, after 1989, the year in which the transition from a centralized socialist economy to a capitalist economy, has revealed significant structural changes, in direct relation to the spectacular economic development of the Bucharest-Ilfov Development Region. Table 1 quantifies these changes at the level of each land-use category, highlighting artificial surfaces (1.1) and industrial, commercial and transportation establishments (1.2) with a significant increase over the whole period. There are also increases in abandoned agricultural areas occupied by forest and shrubs (3.2.4). The most significant changes in land use are observed in the category of agricultural area, Table 1 highlights the changes for each category of agricultural land in the study area. GDP growth (Figure 2) also shows the significant financial resources available to the region. These financial resources are being invested in new production or logistics platforms, residential complexes and transport infrastructure.
Table 1 shows the reduction in arable area over the whole period analyzed, after the area that has changed its functionality being the main category affected by urban sprawl. It can be noted that at the end of the analyzed period, the irrigated arable land in an important percentage takes on a different functionality, while vineyards and orchards reduce their cultivated areas by more than 65%. Pastureland is doubling in size as a transitional stage between agricultural and built-up areas. The explosive expansion of built-up areas is also evidenced by the development of turnover in the construction sector (Figure 3).
The spatial pattern of structural changes in land-use structure highlights different intensities of emerging processes at the urban-rural interface. The most important substitution of functionalities took place in the first ring of settlements around Bucharest, where old agricultural areas were replaced by new residential neighborhoods or economic activities requiring large areas of land for expansion. The process of changing the functionality of the agricultural land started near the structuring axes connecting Bucharest to the emerging space, the arable land being occupied by new residential neighborhoods, economic activities and logistic infrastructures for the chain stores that needed good accessibility to Bucharest. New construction/modernization projects of the central Trans-European Transport Network road network (motorways/expressways/national roads), including the construction of bypasses related to the network, have generated new premises for economic development. The development of the highway-type road infrastructure network led to profound changes in land use, with arable land, orchards and vineyards being replaced by both industrial activities (e.g., the Makita-Brănești investment) requiring large areas of land, and residential neighborhoods of the population migrated from Bucharest.
Figure 4 shows a high intensity of functional land restructuring along the main transportation axes in response to specific economic, urban and social developments. The relationship between transport infrastructure development and land use needs is also observed, the most important result being urbanization and permanent expansion of built-up areas due to the permanent need for accessibility to the polarizing urban center. There is a trend of concentration along the transport axes of shopping centers, office spaces and other service facilities that benefit from the accessibility offered by the transport axes, along which there is a gradual compaction of land with non-agricultural functions, the most obvious being the transport axes connecting Bucharest to: Voluntari, Otopeni, Chitila, Chiajna, Tunari, Buftea, Domnești, Bragadiru, Măgurele, Jilava, Brănești and Popești-Leordeni. The congestion of these transport axes will generate an increase in the change in land use in the future, through the need to increase transport capacity (increasing the number of traffic lanes, establishing new access or bypass roads, railway infrastructure).
Research has shown a significant increase in the amount of land occupied by logistics parks and industrial parks, which occupy former industrial zones or agricultural land. If at the beginning of the analyzed period they were concentrated close to the accessibility corridors, in 2018 a functional restructuring of agricultural land located at greater distances from the old transportation axes can be observed, as they are connected to Bucharest municipality through new transportation axes, which generate new functional restructuring processes along them.
Figure 5 highlights the shifts in functionality between different land use categories from one reference year to another. Arable land is the category of land use that has seen the largest reductions in area, with a shift towards buildings, pasture, compact or fragmented urban areas. An important change in functionality is the shift from fragmented urban areas to compact urban areas, a process evidenced in spatial patterns of land use (Figure 5).

4. Discussion

Research results show that accelerated urban sprawl resulting from uncontrolled residential development is exerting considerable pressure on land use patterns. This study, together with other similar studies, shows that this phenomenon has significant implications for land use, the environment and economic development [19,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35].
The causal relationships between urban expansion and land use changes need to be further analyzed. Our research validates that urban expansion leads to a reduction in agricultural areas, a decrease in agricultural productivity and changes in crop typology, but the causal mechanisms that generate these transformations require further exploration. For example, determinants such as high housing demand, speculation in the real estate market or the modernization and expansion of infrastructure are key elements in the dynamics of land use. A comparative approach with other urban contexts could provide additional data and a deeper understanding of these mechanisms.
A major issue underlined is the reduction of agricultural land, a process accompanied by the conversion of agricultural land to urban areas, reduced agricultural production and changes in crop composition. This trend, is also confirmed by a number of previous research [28,36] and has short term but also long-term effects on food security, rural economy and ecological balance in peri-urban areas [34,37]. Moreover, the intensity of agricultural land loss varies according to proximity to large urban centers and local urban planning policies, thus providing a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon in relation to specific regional factors.
The effects of the reduction of agricultural land are not only economic but also have an ecological dimension through fragmentation or destruction of natural habitats and loss of biodiversity [26,38,39,40,41,42,43] further highlighting the effects of urban sprawl. Our research brings an added value by integrating analyses that allow the identification of areas most vulnerable to degradation and by correlating these changes with the pace of urban expansion.
From a methodological point of view, our research, through GIS and flow visualization techniques and the transformation of land categories over time (Sankey diagram), provides an integrated perspective on land use dynamics, confirming along with other studies [44,45], the usefulness of these methodologies as complementary tools that improve the understanding of the impact of urban sprawl on land use. The study highlights the role of economic and political factors, demonstrating the influence of local regulations and investment levels on the intensity of this phenomenon. However, the analysis of the extent to which urban expansion puts pressure on urban development instruments remains underdeveloped, which highlights the need for future research focused on assessing the effectiveness of urban development instruments in managing urban expansion. Another key issue highlighted by our study is the need for intelligent planning to prevent the negative effects of urban sprawl. In this direction, remote sensing and GIS techniques [46,47] and fractal analysis through the Fractal Fragmentation Index (FFI) or other algo-rhythms of image analysis [48,49,50] can be very valuable in-tools that can help in monitoring and managing the impacts of urban sprawl. The approach proposed in this article also contributes to the development of methodologies for analyzing emerging processes in territorial systems [51,52,53,54,55,56,57]. In addition, the use of predictive models like Cellular Automata-Markov Chain (CAMC) and multilayer perceptron neural network Markov chain can be useful in urban forecasting and planning [19,25]. The results obtained can contribute to the development of simulation models of complex urban behavior, relevant models for predictions regarding the expansion of urban areas and assisting decisions regarding urban development as a whole. The methodology used to obtain these results can complement Cellular Automaton models, based on dividing the research area into sectors and applying functional transformation algorithms to each sector, or Agent-Based Models (models for stimulating individual decisions of urban actors that allow exploring the effects of public policies and social behaviors on urban expansion). These approaches can contribute to the efficiency of intelligent urban expansion planning strategies that can mitigate the negative impact of this phenomenon [54,55,56,57]. Consequently, understanding the impacts of urban sprawl requires detailed analysis—a key element for designing sustainable development plans from both land use and urban planning perspectives. We can say that this phenomenon has multiple negative consequences that vary from one region to another being influenced by certain factors such as the level of investment or public urban planning policies. It thus becomes evident that effective management strategies for sustainable urban development are essential in mitigating negative impacts and promoting sustainable urban development.

5. Conclusions

Through the methodology used, the study highlights deep and complex territorial transformations in the emerging area of Bucharest. These are the result of economic transition, infrastructure expansion and modernization and accelerated urbanization.
The analysis carried out demonstrates, mainly the expansion of urban areas, especially in the first ring of localities around Bucharest, a process associated with the accelerated economic development of the Bucharest Ilfov region and the migration of the population to peri-urban areas. Our research also revealed a significant increase in the areas occupied by industrial, commercial and transportation facilities, mainly along the main transportation axes. Agricultural land is the land category most affected by accelerated urban expansion. Thus, large areas of arable land have been transformed into residential neighborhoods, logistic spaces, industrial parks or road infrastructures reflecting the changing economic and social priorities of the area. Also, areas of grassland are showing significant increases, being a transitional stage between agricultural and built space functionalities.
The results also showed a direct relationship between the development of transport infrastructure and the intensity of the urbanization process. The main transport axes linking Bucharest to the neighboring localities have become real urban development corridors. Investments in shopping centers, office space and service facilities are concentrated along them. This led to the compaction of built-up areas and facilitated the functional restructuring of agricultural land originally located at appreciable distances from Bucharest.
However, the research also has some limitations due to the lack of integration of socio-economic and political factors in the analysis and the need for more detailed causal analysis. These limitations may be interesting opportunities for future research.
In conclusion, the results of the study provide us with a better understanding of land use dynamics in the context of accelerated urbanization in the Bucharest-Ilfov region. They also highlight the need for sustainable spatial planning that pays particular attention to maintaining a balance between economic development, urban development and the long-term sustainability of the region.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, D.P., D.C.D. and A.M.B.; methodology, A.M.B., A.G., A.R.G. and M.F.G.; software, A.R.G., M.F.G. and A.M.B.; validation, A.K.G. and C.C.D.; formal analysis, A.K.G., R.B.S. and M.B.A.; investigation, D.P.; resources, D.C.D. and A.K.G.; data curation, M.F.G. and A.M.B.; writing—D.P. and D.C.D.; writing—review and editing, A.G., A.K.G. and C.C.D.; visualization, all authors.; supervision, D.P. and D.C.D.; project administration, D.C.D.; funding acquisition, R.B.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI, project number COFUND-DUT-FEED4FOOD, within PNCDI IV Project title: Vulnerable communities fostering innovation and governance of sustainable building systems in European cities, through project number 50/2024.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are available through a request to the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript:
CLMSCopernicus Land Monitoring Services
NACLRNational Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration
QGISQuantum Geographic Information System

Appendix A

Table A1. Codes of each use category.
Table A1. Codes of each use category.
CODEDESCRIPTION
111Continuous urban fabric
112Discontinuous urban fabric
121Industrial or commercial units
122Road and rail networks and associated land
124Airports
131Mineral extraction sites
132Dump sites
133Construction sites
141Green urban areas
142Sport and leisure facilities
211Non-irrigated arable land
212Permanently irrigated land
221Vineyards
222Fruit trees and berry plantations
231Pastures
242Complex cultivation patterns
243Land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation
311Broad-leaved forest
321Natural grasslands
324Transitional woodland-shrub
411Inland marshes
511Water courses
512Water bodies

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Agriculture 15 00406 g001
Figure 1. Study area.
Figure 1. Study area.
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Figure 2. Annual, Gross domestic product at market prices in the Bucharest-Ilfov Region (Unit of measure: index, 2015 = 100) Data source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/ (accessed on 7 January 2024) [22].
Figure 2. Annual, Gross domestic product at market prices in the Bucharest-Ilfov Region (Unit of measure: index, 2015 = 100) Data source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/ (accessed on 7 January 2024) [22].
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Figure 3. Evolution of turnover in the construction sector in the emerging territorial system Bucharest (RON) (Data source: National Trade Register Office—https://www.onrc.ro/index.php/ro/ (accessed on 7 January 2024) [23].
Figure 3. Evolution of turnover in the construction sector in the emerging territorial system Bucharest (RON) (Data source: National Trade Register Office—https://www.onrc.ro/index.php/ro/ (accessed on 7 January 2024) [23].
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Agriculture 15 00406 g004aAgriculture 15 00406 g004bAgriculture 15 00406 g004c
Figure 4. Land use evolution in the emerging territorial system of Bucharest between 1990 and 2018.
Figure 4. Land use evolution in the emerging territorial system of Bucharest between 1990 and 2018.
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Figure 5. Structural dynamics of land use in the emerging territorial system Bucharest. 111—Continuous urban fabric; 112—Discontinuous urban fabric; 121—Industrial or commercial units; 122—Road and rail networks and associated land; 124—Airports; 131—Mineral extraction sites; 132—Dump sites; 133—Construction sites; 141—Green urban areas; 142—Sport and leisure facilities; 211—Non-irrigated arable land; 212—Permanently irrigated land; 221—Vineyards; 222—Fruit trees and berry plantations; 231—Pastures; 242—Complex cultivation patterns; 243—Land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation; 311—Broad-leaved forest; 321—Natural grasslands; 324—Transitional woodland-shrub; 411—Inland marshes; 511—Water courses; 512—Water bodies.
Figure 5. Structural dynamics of land use in the emerging territorial system Bucharest. 111—Continuous urban fabric; 112—Discontinuous urban fabric; 121—Industrial or commercial units; 122—Road and rail networks and associated land; 124—Airports; 131—Mineral extraction sites; 132—Dump sites; 133—Construction sites; 141—Green urban areas; 142—Sport and leisure facilities; 211—Non-irrigated arable land; 212—Permanently irrigated land; 221—Vineyards; 222—Fruit trees and berry plantations; 231—Pastures; 242—Complex cultivation patterns; 243—Land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation; 311—Broad-leaved forest; 321—Natural grasslands; 324—Transitional woodland-shrub; 411—Inland marshes; 511—Water courses; 512—Water bodies.
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Table 1. Land use matrix in the emerging territorial system Bucharest.
Table 1. Land use matrix in the emerging territorial system Bucharest.
CODEDESCRIPTION1990
(ha)		2000
(ha)		%
2000/1990		2006 (ha)%
2006/2000		2012
(ha)		%
2012/2006		2018
(ha)		%
2018/2012
111Continuous urban fabric1308.91308.90.07847.5499.510,092.828.610,169.50.8
112Discontinuous urban fabric24,209.524,699.22.020,926.0−15.316,821.0−19.617,624.64.8
121Industrial or commercial units5107.45281.93.48056.552.58197.81.88587.74.8
122Road and rail networks and associated land503.4503.40.0270.2−46.3465.372.2465.30.0
124Airports687.9687.90.0956.939.11132.218.31136.40.4
131Mineral extraction sites0.00.00.052.70.0413.3684.3444.37.5
132Dump sites47.047.00.0111.5137.2267.6140.0277.93.8
133Construction sites34.166.795.6828.31141.85265.4535.75715.28.5
141Green urban areas1344.81344.80.01285.2−4.41228.8−4.41268.53.2
142Sport and leisure facilities508.4508.40.0450.3−11.4278.7−38.1278.70.0
211Non-irrigated arable land101,586.4100,933.1−0.695,261.1−5.679,672.6−16.480,611.91.2
212Permanently irrigated land296.1296.10.00.0−100.0126.00.0126.00.0
221Vineyards455.0413.3−9.2220.8−46.6726.9229.2590.9−18.7
222Fruit trees and berry plantations2136.92125.2−0.52081.5−2.110,667.0412.58296.3−22.2
231Pastures2847.22818.8−1.03410.321.011,193.8228.211,004.9−1.7
242Complex cultivation patterns5524.15575.90.94700.2−15.7991.7−78.9977.6−1.4
243Land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation1522.31523.10.11069.1−29.824,195.42163.223,868.9−1.3
311Broad-leaved forest26,201.226,200.20.025,719.8−1.895.9−99.695.90.0
321Natural grasslands486.7486.70.087.9−81.92721.42996.03013.210.7
324Transitional woodland-shrub110.3110.30.0665.6503.448.8−92.748.80.0
411Inland marshes1371.11370.3−0.11016.7−25.8911.3−10.4911.30.0
511Water courses413.3409.5−0.92329.9469.02116.4−9.22116.40.0
512Water bodies3737.93729.1−0.23091.9−17.12809.9−9.12809.90.0
structural changes (decreases) structural changes (increases) no change
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Diaconu, D.C.; Peptenatu, D.; Gruia, A.K.; Grecu, A.; Gruia, A.R.; Gruia, M.F.; Drăghici, C.C.; Băloi, A.M.; Alexandrescu, M.B.; Sibinescu, R.B. The Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use in Emerging Territorial Systems: Case Study Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania. Agriculture 2025, 15, 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040406

AMA Style

Diaconu DC, Peptenatu D, Gruia AK, Grecu A, Gruia AR, Gruia MF, Drăghici CC, Băloi AM, Alexandrescu MB, Sibinescu RB. The Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use in Emerging Territorial Systems: Case Study Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania. Agriculture. 2025; 15(4):406. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040406

Chicago/Turabian Style

Diaconu, Daniel Constantin, Daniel Peptenatu, Andreea Karina Gruia, Alexandra Grecu, Andrei Rafael Gruia, Manuel Fabian Gruia, Cristian Constantin Drăghici, Aurel Mihail Băloi, Mihai Bogdan Alexandrescu, and Raluca Bogdana Sibinescu. 2025. "The Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use in Emerging Territorial Systems: Case Study Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania" Agriculture 15, no. 4: 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040406

APA Style

Diaconu, D. C., Peptenatu, D., Gruia, A. K., Grecu, A., Gruia, A. R., Gruia, M. F., Drăghici, C. C., Băloi, A. M., Alexandrescu, M. B., & Sibinescu, R. B. (2025). The Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use in Emerging Territorial Systems: Case Study Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania. Agriculture, 15(4), 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040406

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