The Dynamics of Peri-Urbanization

Abstract

The PLUREL project (2007-2011) envisaged research on urban, peri-urban and rural interaction and strategies focusing on sustainable land use changes such as the preservation of green open areas, agricultural lands and other unbuilt areas under urbanization pressures. The research was done through close cooperation with the stakeholders from the case-study regions. For the purpose of better cooperation, a Board of Stakeholders was formed-to follow the research closely and recommend improvements in the way of communication between research and policy. The research addressed important issues for all the regions with urban cores, peri-urban edges and rural hinterlands. The stakeholders, representing planners, local politicians, NGOs, nature protection organizations or networks of relevant actors, took an active role in the discussions, analysis and choices on the way to the end results. The expectations were high on both sides. The stakeholders expected userfriendly recommendations, models, scenarios and interactive tools. The amount of work delivered in the end was impressive. The experience, through the interaction between researchers and policy makers, was highly valuable. The two worlds with different languages and perceptions came closer to each other. Ideas were freely exchanged and common strategies worked out. PLUREL offers a wide range of products which will indisputably have impact on policies. These products include analysis and recommendation on governance and sustainable peri-urban land use, planning and financial instruments in peri-urban areas that will enhance sustainable land use, strategies for growth management, urban containment by conservation and densification, development of consistent blue and green infrastructure, promotion of local production and short transport circles, development of eco-services, and ways of assessing impacts on quality of life. All these are numerous examples of successfully worked out recommendations for preserving and developing the peri-urban areas as open, green and vital areas. Three European regions from Western Europe, three from the former Eastern Europe and one from China-all with different traditions in planning and land use-learned a lot from each other in the process. The regions which are traditionally strong in planning-Montpellier, The Hague and Manchester could offer their v

Temporal Dynamics of Sediment Sources in an Urbanizing Mediterranean Catchment

“…Natural soil losses depend on climate, topography and soil properties (Ochoa et al ., ), but human activities, such as urbanization, logging and agriculture, lead to vegetation removal, increasing erosion and soil degradation and altering the landscape and sediment fluxes (Ferreira et al ., ; Zdruli, ; Leh et al ., ). This situation applies in peri‐urban areas, which constitute dynamic transition zones between rural and urban environments and comprise a changing mixture of distinct land‐uses with several potential sources of sediment (Ravetz et al ., ).…”

Growing Cities in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Land Competing Interests in Peri‐Urban Areas and Organised Violence

“…A dichotomous definition which contrasts urban versus rural areas results in a too simplistic vision of human and environmental spatial patterns. Rather, the transitional zone of penetration of cities into rural areas marks new multifunctional territories characterised by fluid dynamics of urban sprawl, often encompassing massive social and environmental problems, especially in low and middle income countries (Narain & Nischal ; Schneider & Woodcock ; Ravetz et al ).…”

“…This paper is grounded on different streams of literature, and it merges recent findings on the risk of events of organised violence (Sundberg & Melander ; Beardsley et al ), and land‐use issues with specific attention to peri‐urbanisation processes (McGregor et al ; Schneider & Woodcock ; Ravetz et al ) and large‐scale land acquisitions (DeSchutter ; Deininger ; Cotula ). Based on spatially disaggregated data which allow controlling for local characteristics, the analysis explores whether rising competing interests over land are systematically associated with events of organised violence in Sub‐Saharan Africa within the period 2000–2014.…”

Peri-Urbanism in Globalizing India: A Study of Pollution, Health and Community Awareness

“…Such places have particular place-based characteristics and face significant sustainability challenges [8,9]. Karhera, like India’s other peri-urban places, is also the physical manifestation of the globalization processes—created and molded by—regional agglomeration, liberalization, urbanization, global economic integration, and “re-structuring for globalized systems of production and consumption” [10,11]. …”