Spatial concentration and quantitative spatial density of anthropogenic elements were assessed. The authors used original parameters of standing and progressive anthropogenic pressures in individual hexagons in a grid based on a land cover database and the current population structure. The calculated values of relative entropies for both parameters were similar. The relative entropy based on both pressures for the whole area was high (0.89). In peri-urban zones it was 50% less and in cities about 80% greater. A juxtaposition of standing and progressive pressure values revealed a trend towards a slight decrease in the values.

The socialist era postponed suburbanisation in Central and Eastern European countries. After 1990, the process became extremely intensive and transformed the compact form of cities into more decentralised and dispersed urban structures. Therefore, the study aims to identify the main trends in land-cover transformation caused by urban sprawl in peri-urban areas of three Central and Eastern European cities (NUTS 3 level: the Pest County, Bratislava Region, and Krakowski subregion). In addition, we identified various policy tools for green infrastructure protection. We further investigated the extent to which the presence of legal means of nature conservation affects the stability of natural and seminatural areas. The research used an original questionnaire and spatio-temporal analysis. It has been confirmed that after decades of socialism, a highly intensive urban sprawl process started in the analysed regions. It generally slowed down after 2000 except for the Krakowski subregion. The majority of new artificial areas replaced agricultural land. Despite the dynamic urban sprawl, almost one-third of the analysed Central and Eastern European peri-urban areas were stable natural and seminatural areas. The traditional nature conservation tools proved to be effective in preserving natural and seminatural areas, but the protection of landscapes exposed to urban sprawl needs specific tools. The effectiveness of urban sprawl control is hindered by the fact that spatial planning competences are dispersed. This research may influence monitoring urban sprawl and offer an innovative method because it combines spatial analysis (quantitative approach) with the impact of policy tools (qualitative approach).

In an era of dynamic urbanization, especially in densely populated regions such as the Greater Istanbul Metropolitan Area, land degradation (LD) is a widespread and multifaceted phenomenon. Hence, there is a need for monitoring LD to track the direction of urban sprawl and respond rationally. In this context, the purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude and directions of LD in Istanbul from 1984 to 2022. The originality of the study lies in the development of the CAI_A index, which is a quantitative measure of the degree of anthropogenic impact. This study utilized Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite imagery from 1984, 2002, and 2022, employing a maximum likelihood classification method to determine land cover and land use changes. The results show that the area of LD by anthropogenic activity has increased by an average of nearly 40 percentage points in each district of Istanbul over the past four decades, significantly impacting both natural and semi‐natural areas. Furthermore, a noteworthy observation was made regarding forests in the northern part of the study area, which demonstrated stability and resilience to LD. The results of the study are important for the urban environment because they facilitate a better understanding of the impact of human activities on mitigating LD in the context of climate change, among other things. Moreover, the results identify specific areas in need of targeted monitoring and remedial actions regarding LD.Research Highlights: Istanbul's urbanization has been consistent since 1984. Urban expansion primarily contributes to agricultural land degradation. Land degradation clusters near settlements and on the southern coast. State forests are crucial for preserving natural areas and resisting degradation. Forest services are threatened by fragmented urban expansion.