Evaluation of the use of hevsel gardens as an urban agricultural area

Today, changes are taking place in the urban landscape as a result of rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization. Urban agricultural areas, that need to be protected are often negatively affected by construction, constitute important urban landscape parts. The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of Hevsel Gardens, which is one of the important cultural assets of Diyarbakır and the food store of the city, as an urban agricultural area in today's climate, food and ecological crises. Hevsel Gardens has important values in terms of both its historical and natural features has been effective in choosing it as a study area. Located between the Diyarbakır Walls and the Tigris River, the historical Hevsel Gardens, which are thought to have existed with the foundation of the city, have an area of approximately 300 hectares. These fertile gardens in the city are an ecological habitat with many bird species and mammals. This agricultural area, which meets the daily food and economic needs of the population living in the neighborhoods close to Suriçi, continues to exist today. Within the content of the study, the current status of Hevsel Gardens such as its location, economic and social dimensions, contribution to the urban ecosystem, its agricultural texture, and the physical features of gardens such as environmental quality and problems,infrastructure are determined and suggestions are developed for the problems. In this direction, the examples of the world and Turkey, which show the characteristics of productive urban agricultural areas such as Hevsel Gardens, are examined by emphasizing the concept of urban agriculture. In order to determine the urban agriculture potential of Hevsel Gardens, face-to-face surveys with the farmers who works in the area and analyzes were conducted. According to these analyzes and the results of the survey, it has been revealed that Hevsel Gardens, which is on the UNESCO heritage list, is facing serious problems. There are environmental problems such as structuring around the area, soil and water pollution, irrigation system, roads and lighting problems, and socio-economic problems such as the lack of control of the agricultural area and its surroundings, fragmented ownership, tourism and migration pressure,lack of agricultural support and adequate policies. Local governments have great responsibility for the solution of these problems, the continuation and development of agricultural activities, and the integration of urban agriculture policies into urban design and planning studies.