In recent decades, land use and land cover changes, driven by various factors, have led to unprecedented degradation of ecosystems, particularly in peri-urban areas. The primary aim of this study is to assess land use changes with an emphasis on the peri-urban garden cities of Zanjan over the period from 1993 to 2023. This research utilizes satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 8, and 9 across the 30-year period and applies the fuzzy supervised classification method to categorize the satellite images. The results indicate that the highest growth in built-up areas occurred between 2003–2013, followed by a slowdown in recent years. Gardens initially expanded but began to decline from 2013 onward. Similarly, water resources and agricultural lands, after experiencing a period of decline, showed improvement by 2023. In contrast, rangelands exhibited a continuous downward trend. This study emphasizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of peri-urban garden cities in Zanjan and recommends the adoption of entrepreneurial approaches to promote urban agriculture sustainability. The findings highlight that precise land use policies and management for garden cities around Zanjan can prevent irregular development and foster spatial equilibrium. In recent decades, land use and land cover changes, driven by various factors, have led to unprecedented degradation of ecosystems, particularly in peri-urban areas. The primary aim of this study is to assess land use changes with an emphasis on the peri-urban garden cities of Zanjan over the period from 1993 to 2023. This research utilizes satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 8, and 9 across the 30-year period and applies the fuzzy supervised classification method to categorize the satellite images. The results indicate that the highest growth in built-up areas occurred between 2003–2013, followed by a slowdown in recent years. Gardens initially expanded but began to decline from 2013 onward. Similarly, water resources and agricultural lands, after experiencing a period of decline, showed improvement by 2023. In contrast, rangelands exhibited a continuous downward trend. This study emphasizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of peri-urban garden cities in Zanjan and recommends the adoption of entrepreneurial approaches to promote urban agriculture sustainability. The findings highlight that precise land use policies and management for garden cities around Zanjan can prevent irregular development and foster spatial equilibrium. In recent decades, land use and land cover changes, driven by various factors, have led to unprecedented degradation of ecosystems, particularly in peri-urban areas. The primary aim of this study is to assess land use changes with an emphasis on the peri-urban garden cities of Zanjan over the period from 1993 to 2023. This research utilizes satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 8, and 9 across the 30-year period and applies the fuzzy supervised classification method to categorize the satellite images. The results indicate that the highest growth in built-up areas occurred between 2003–2013, followed by a slowdown in recent years. Gardens initially expanded but began to decline from 2013 onward. Similarly, water resources and agricultural lands, after experiencing a period of decline, showed improvement by 2023. In contrast, rangelands exhibited a continuous downward trend. This study emphasizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of peri-urban garden cities in Zanjan and recommends the adoption of entrepreneurial approaches to promote urban agriculture sustainability. The findings highlight that precise land use policies and management for garden cities around Zanjan can prevent irregular development and foster spatial equilibrium. In recent decades, land use and land cover changes, driven by various factors, have led to unprecedented degradation of ecosystems, particularly in peri-urban areas. The primary aim of this study is to assess land use changes with an emphasis on the peri-urban garden cities of Zanjan over the period from 1993 to 2023. This research utilizes satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 8, and 9 across the 30-year period and applies the fuzzy supervised classification method to categorize the satellite images. The results indicate that the highest growth in built-up areas occurred between 2003–2013, followed by a slowdown in recent years. Gardens initially expanded but began to decline from 2013 onward. Similarly, water resources and agricultural lands, after experiencing a period of decline, showed improvement by 2023. In contrast, rangelands exhibited a continuous downward trend. This study emphasizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of peri-urban garden cities in Zanjan and recommends the adoption of entrepreneurial approaches to promote urban agriculture sustainability. The findings highlight that precise land use policies and management for garden cities around Zanjan can prevent irregular development and foster spatial equilibrium. In recent decades, land use and land cover changes, driven by various factors, have led to unprecedented degradation of ecosystems, particularly in peri-urban areas. The primary aim of this study is to assess land use changes with an emphasis on the peri-urban garden cities of Zanjan over the period from 1993 to 2023. This research utilizes satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 8, and 9 across the 30-year period and applies the fuzzy supervised classification method to categorize the satellite images. The results indicate that the highest growth in built-up areas occurred between 2003–2013, followed by a slowdown in recent years. Gardens initially expanded but began to decline from 2013 onward. Similarly, water resources and agricultural lands, after experiencing a period of decline, showed improvement by 2023. In contrast, rangelands exhibited a continuous downward trend. This study emphasizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of peri-urban garden cities in Zanjan and recommends the adoption of entrepreneurial approaches to promote urban agriculture sustainability. The findings highlight that precise land use policies and management for garden cities around Zanjan can prevent irregular development and foster spatial equilibrium.