Abstract
Periurban areas of growing cities in developing countries have been conceptualised as highly dynamic landscapes characterised by a mixture of socioeconomic structures, land uses and functions. While the body of conceptual literature on periurban areas has significantly increased over the past two decades, methods for operationalising these multi-dimensional concepts are rather limited. Yet, information about the location and areal extent of periurban areas is needed for integrated planning in the urban–rural interface. This article presents the results of a study aiming at classifying and mapping periurban areas along the urban–rural gradient of Tamale, a medium-sized city in Ghana. The study used a quantitative, multi-dimensional methodology involving the following as core elements: (1) a relative measure of how urban a place and its people are in terms of services, infrastructure and livelihoods (urbanicity index); (2) the diversity of households regarding their livelihoods and access to urban services; and (3) land use dynamics. Therefore, data from a household survey, as well as land use and other secondary geospatial data were collected and analysed at different spatial scales. The findings suggested that the periurban space consists of two main zones. Inner periurban areas are driven by urban expansion and the conversion of non-urban into urban land use is most visible here. These areas exhibit higher levels of socioeconomic diversity, compared to both rural and urban areas. Outer periurban areas are less dynamic in terms of land use change and exhibit lower building densities, and compared with rural areas, hold stronger links to the city related to the movement of people and goods. The spatial analysis revealed that periurban areas develop mainly along major transport corridors across administrative divisions, as well as in the form of periurban islands in the rural zone. This study set out to extend existing methodologies to map urban and periurban development in medium-sized cities in sub-Saharan Africa, useful for urban and regional planning beyond administrative boundaries.
Highlights
Growing urban populations come with a variety of major socioeconomic and ecological changes, in particular in developing countries
Periurban areas of growing cities in developing countries have been conceptualised as highly dynamic landscapes characterised by a mixture of socioeconomic structures, land uses and functions
For planning and development purposes, it is useful to know the spatial extent of such zones, it is a matter of debate as to whether the multitude of elements that constitute these phenomena can be measured and compared. The results of this multi-dimensional study show that areas lying between the extreme ends of the urbanicity scale exhibit higher levels of land use change and socioeconomic diversity, confirming certain claims made in the literature
Summary
Growing urban populations come with a variety of major socioeconomic and ecological changes, in particular in developing countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, the urban transition is a relatively recent phenomenon, with urban growth rates being among the highest in the world [1]. Land 2019, 8, 40 the urban population is expected to increase from 44.9% in 2011 to 65.7% by 2050 (ibid.). This can be, to a large extent, attributed to the growth of towns and intermediate cities. In view of the increasing interest in holistic, integrated (landscape) research and related sustainability policies, a number of scholars have stressed the need for a general framework for periurban areas, including definitions, measurement and interpretation tools [5]
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