Realizing urban agriculture function during territorial spatial planning under supply and demand adaptation

Urban agriculture is one of the most crucial components in modern agriculture and urban systems. The multifaceted functional values of urban agriculture are of significant importance to accelerate the agricultural transformation and urban-rural integration, thus fostering the more sustainable cities. Territorial spatial planning can serve as the spatial blueprint for sustainable development, in order to promote the functional values of urban agriculture. This study aims to realize the urban agriculture function during territorial spatial planning under supply and demand adaptation. Firstly, the systematic analysis was made on the connotations of the functional values for the urban agriculture. Then, the logical framework and practical challenges were examined to realize these functional values, from the perspective of supply and demand. Finally, the territorial spatial planning was proposed to achieve these functional values. A pathway was also recommended for “realizing the functional values of urban agriculture in territorial spatial planning”. A balanced and supply-demand aligned approach was developed to facilitate the multifaceted functions of urban agriculture within the system of territorial spatial planning. The results indicate that: 1) Urban agriculture was closely integrated with the cities. Besides the common characteristics of traditional agriculture, there were the unique features, such as symbiosis, efficiency, complexity, and personalization. The fundamental agricultural functions were also provided, such as supplying fresh agricultural products and technological innovation, as well as extended functions, like purifying the urban environment, resource recycling, urban landscapes, agrarian culture preservation, and urban experiences. Effective pathways were explored to fully realize the multifaceted functional values of urban agriculture, according to the theories of the supply-demand equilibrium, industrial multifunctionality, urban-rural integration, and agricultural location. 2) There were some mismatches between the supply of production factors and the demand for industrial upgrading, between the supply of agricultural products and the demand structure of urban residents, and between agricultural production and urban ecological resource protection in urban agriculture. Territorial spatial planning was then required to strengthen the protection and rational use of agricultural resources on the supply side. On the demand side was enhanced the planning guidance, spatial control, element assurance, and policy support. 3) Five tasks were proposed to promote and realize the agricultural values: A systematic evaluation was conducted to assess the urban agriculture; The targets were determined to clarify the direction of development; Spatial guidance was strengthened to establish the development pattern; Industrial guidance was optimized to propose the strategies for urban agriculture; The institutional mechanisms were improved to form the protective measures for urban agriculture. The “general, specialized, and detailed planning” were implemented to orderly develop the urban agriculture. The functional values were then achieved to consider the territorial spatial planning using supply-demand fit. The systematic guidance can also provide to optimize and allocate the agricultural resources in urban spaces.