Geospatial transformations of land cover use in the peri-urban zone of Belgrade: The case of the municipality of Grocka

Peri-urban zones are characterized by intensive spatial and functional transformations driven by the interplay of urban expansion, agricultural restructuring, and landscape change. As part of Belgrade’s peri-urban belt, the Municipality of Grocka has undergone pronounced land-cover transformations, particularly along major transport corridors and in settlements with strong functional links to the metropolitan core. This study analyzes land-cover change in 1990-2018 using CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data and GIS-based spatial analysis, with emphasis on agricultural-to-built-up conversions and structural shifts within agricultural categories. The results indicate a decline of cultivated land and complex cultivation mosaics, alongside a continuous increase in residential and industrial/commercial land, reflecting sustained peri-urbanization pressures. To capture post-2018 spatial patterns, the long-term CLC assessment is complemented by a Sentinel-2-based 10 m land cover dataset (Esri / Impact Observatory), derived from Copernicus imagery for 2018 and 2024, used strictly as a supplementary snapshot of recent dynamics and internal heterogeneity rather than as a direct extension of the CLC time series. The findings highlight the complexity of peri-urban land-cover transformations and underscore the need for integrated spatial planning and agricultural land protection measures that balance development pressures with the preservation of productive land and landscape functions.