Landscapes and Services in Peri-Urban Areas and Choice of Housing Location: An Application of Discrete Choice Experiments

Biancamaria Torquati,Tiziano Tempesta,Giulia Giacchè

doi:10.3390/land9100393

Abstract

The recent decades have witnessed a significant increase in the population in peri-urban areas which led to a progressive transformation of peri-urban landscapes, and the reduced ability of agriculture to provide ecosystem services. In order to understand the complex relationships established in peri-urban areas between reference urban centre, urban services (US) and ecosystem services (ES), with particular attention to the landscape, a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was carried out in the transitional peri-urban areas of six municipalities located near the city of Perugia (Italy). The two main goals of this study are analysing the effect of the presence of US and ES on the demand for housing, and exploring the implications in terms of peri-urban land use policy. The results highlight that the availability of some ES can have a significant impact on choice of housing location.

Highlights

Peri-urban areas are complex spaces from an environmental, economic and social point of view, especially in light of their relations of spatial proximity and mutual dependence with both cities and rural areas [1]
The focus on peri-urban areas relates to phenomena linked to both urban growth and the resilience of agricultural zones—those areas where urban and rural are transformed through trade and mutual exchanges between the physical and practical dimension of living [3]
This research focuses on the peri-urban areas around the city of Perugia, which have been characterized in recent decades by relevant rural transformations that have led to an overall increase in urbanization and an intensification of agricultural land uses [61]

Summary

Introduction

Peri-urban areas are complex spaces from an environmental, economic and social point of view, especially in light of their relations of spatial proximity and mutual dependence with both cities and rural areas [1]. In these areas, agriculture has a well-known, strategic role in keeping the balance and quality of the urban and rural environment [2]. The focus on peri-urban areas relates to phenomena linked to both urban growth and the resilience of agricultural zones—those areas where urban and rural are transformed through trade and mutual exchanges between the physical and practical dimension of living [3] In this light, the peri-urban is increasingly considered an original space, hybrid, simultaneously featuring urban and rural aspects [4].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion