This study was conducted for the purpose of deriving implications by observing the changing patterns and characteristics of the farmland reduction area in urban vicinity with Gimhae city, Gyeongsangnam-do as the subject. In order to achieve this goal, we first examined the problems and possibilities of farmland reduction area in urban vicinity through a theoretical review. Additionally, the characteristics of land use, landscape, and community were examined for Gimhae city, Gyeongsangnam-do. The results of the study are summarized as follows.
When examining the characteristics of farmland reduction area in urban vicinity in terms of land use, firstly the reduction of farmland was different in Myun-area and Dong-area due to geographical characteristics and regulations. In the case of the Myun-area, both farmland and forest land decreased gradually over the past 35 years, which contrasts with the rapid decrease in such areas in the Dong-area. Specifically, between 1981 and 2015, the Myun-area showed an average change of 2.29%. However, there was a change of 6.45% in Dong-area and a change of 11.76% in the 1990s, which figures to about 1.8 times higher than the average.
Second, the Myun-area and Dong-area showed different aspects in regards to the landscape. In the case of Myun-area, the transformation of landscape percolated with the opening of the road network in the late 1970s, as the development of park cemeteries, factories, warehouses and such began in the forests. Since then, agricultural industrial complex and industrial complexes was established, and the landscape of farmland and forest land changed together. The alienation of the small factories along the valley of the forests led to a heterogeneous view of the residential, industrial, and agricultural areas gathered in one place. In the case of Dong-area, land development and new town development proceeded in the 1990s caused arable farmlands to quickly disappear. Since then, large-scale apartment complexes have been created and turned into uniform landscape.
Third, the reduction of farmland was centered on rice fields among non-agricultural development region where development pressure was relatively low. In the 1990s, reduced farmland changed due to expansion of road network and development of residential land, and transformed into industrial complexes since the 2000s.
Fourth, in the aspect of community, farmland reduction area in urban vicinity is expanding in communities where the sedentary population is increasing and the younger generation is expanding. More specifically, the working age population increased by about 2.66 times over 21 years in contrast to areas with relatively less declining farmland area, and the youth age population also increased by about 1.69 times over the same time period. As a result, the proportion of senior population is lower than that of areas with relatively less declining farmland area by about 1.66 times, and the proportion of senior population tended to decrease in Myun-area of the farmland reduction area.
Fifth, with the change of community members, The composition of the community is becoming more complicated due to the diversification of economic activities. What was once traditional agriculture that centered around rice production reshaped into institutional gardening, manufacturing, and commerce. In contrast to the tendency of the decrease of farms as a whole in the case of farmland reduction area in Dong-area, a farm specifically with auxiliary source of high and non-agricultural income increased by about 1.61 times compared with 21 years ago. Commercial businesses have steadily increased, unlike areas with relatively less declining farmland area. In addition, the cooperative unit organized for production and shipment decreased overall, but the urban-rural interchanges organization that form the relationship with the outside tend to maintain or increase.
Taken together, it is necessary to manage the area efficiently because rapid change is present in the farmland reduction area in urban vicinity. Based on this, the implications are summarized as follows.
First, there is a change in land use due to the reduction of farmland not designated as agricultural development region. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the farmland-conversion standard. Currently, the criteria for the farmland-conversion standard criteria are appropriateness of size and use of facility, presence of risk that hinders the agricultural management environment of nearby farmland, and expected damage and suitability of damage prevention plan only. It is difficult to make an accurate judgment on permission for farmland conversion based on these basic criteria. In addition, since the permits are delegated to the mayor magistrate, farmland can be easily developed according to the purpose of development of the local government. Therefore, it is necessary to make speciric and quantitative improvements to the farmland-conversion standard.
Second, despite the fact that land use management has been carried out, there have been problems such as uncontrolled development due to the development pressure beyond institutional management, and therefore it is necessary to improve the structural defects of the pertinent legal system. In particular, there are frequent usage changes in the agriculture-related production and processing facilities that are instead being used as manufacturing plants and warehouse. Therefore, in addition to the criteria for the scope of change in the use of agricultural facilities and institutional arrangements, there is a need for a plan to introduce and support incentives for offsetting the benefits of the individual locations of the forest land.
Third, landscape changes in the Myun-area and the Dong-area were different due to the development demand at different times. Especially, in case of Myun-area, unlike Dong-area, farmland and mountain area gradually change, and thus a more long-term landscape management is needed. In the case of residential areas and industrial areas that have been already developed, it is also possible to support them through the local ordinances, for instance when the measures such as cover and color change of appearance in harmony with surrounding landscapes are taken.
Fourth, while the traditional farming activities are decreasing with the decrease of agricultural land area, the increase in the a farm with a secondary jobs and the urban-rural interchanges organization’s efforts can lead to increased visits form outsiders that seek rural tourism and experiential learning. Although sales of products such as direct transaction distribution of agriculture products are currently the elemental activities, the rural experience and tourism may lead to the inception of new forms of population entry and settlement rather than land development and new city development.
This study was carried out with Gimhae city, Gyeongsangnam-do, as a case study subject. However, further studies are needed for a delineative and in-depth investigation of the characteristics of the farmland reduction area in urban vicinity of the country as a whole.