URBAN AGRICULTURE: AN INSTRUMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE METROPOLITAN CITY OF ISTANBUL

Urban agriculture (UA) as a tool for sustainable development in cities and urban regions has been significantly important since the last decade either for developed or developing countries. Global institutions such as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have been supporting these activities, as a result of its diverse positive impacts on eeonomic, social and environmental means. Although, agriculture itself is controversial with the concept of 'urban' where the accumulation of non-agricultural facilities takes place, UA contributes to improve the capacity of economic growth for certain groups such as urban poor, women, migrants, and other disadvantaged groups in communities which are considerably important to achieve social sustainability in urban areas as well as environmental sustainability. Besides, UA functions as a catalyst to create sense of community or supporting community by providing collaborative working environment, add to this, it is also an important environmental education tool of both youngsters and elderly. Another dimensions of its impacts are increasing urban landscape quality by being an urban design element and significant contribution on environmental quality and urban sustainability at local and global levels by reducing urban ecological footprint at physical, social and economical dimensions.