Peri-urban Zones Research Articles

Identification of the spatial extent of the peri-urban area: The case of three cities in Poland

Abstract The work detailed here seeks to recognise features by which areas that can be deemed peri-urban differ from both city and countryside, to the extent that a separate specific identity for them can be discerned. The recognised features made it possible to identify the extent of the peri-urban area. The wealth of relevant literature is first considered, and this is seen to relate to the spatial side and to definition on the one hand, and to ongoing socio-economic processes on the other. Several Polish cities are then selected as the authors seek to discuss indicators useful in determining the spatial scope of the said peri-urban zones. The work proceeds on the assumption that these represent a real component of an urban-rural continuum characterised by reduced diversity and intensity of social and economic phenomena with steadily-increasing distance from the limits of a city in the direction of “traditional” rural areas.

PENGARUH PERUBAHAN LAHAN PERTANIAN MENJADI NON PERTANIAN TERHADAP ASPEK SOSIAL EKONOMI MASYARAKAT

The transformation that occurs in the peri-urban area will cause changes in the morphological peri-urban area and affect changes in the form of agricultural land use and have an impact on changes in the socio-economic conditions of the people in the area. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of changes in agricultural land to non-agriculture on the socio-economic aspects of the community in Jati Agung. This research uses a deductive approach. The data collection method used primary data from questionnaires and interviews, the secondary data collected from Landsat 8 satellite image and BPS South Lampung Regency in 2013-2020. The method of analysis uses the predominant peri-urban zone classification with urban or predominantly urban characteristics divided into Urban Frame Zones and Urban-rural Frame Zones, which have a percentage of agricultural land use less than 50%. Statistical linear regression method is used to see the effect of the transformation of agricultural land use into non-agriculture on the socio-economic aspects of the peoples. The results of statistical tests show that there is a disproportionate effect with a large effect of 29.5% on the total population, 7.6% on population density, 8.6% on Livelihoods and 20.2% on income.

Plant Composition and Species Use in Agroforestry Homegardens in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

Agroforestry home gardens are integrated arrangements of common vegetable plants near residences, resembling tropical forests. They cultivate multiple species to meet families’ basic needs, including food, medicine, and family activities. This study aimed to assess the composition and use of plant species in agroforestry home gardens in three municipalities in the western region of Pará. The study analyzed 119 home gardens in Belterra, Mojuí dos Campos, and Santarém in Pará, Brazilian Amazonia. These home gardens span peri-urban, urban, floodplain, indigenous, and tourist land zones. Data were collected through questionnaires and visits, surveying 5323 plants from 188 species and 62 plant families. The findings revealed that 80.5% of plants concentrated in just 18.6% of the species, with no significant difference in species per home garden across zones. Notably, food species, particularly fruit-bearing plants, dominated these home gardens. This indicates a potential emphasis on incentive programs and public policies. Most home gardens contained up to 17 plant species, while less than half included medicinal plants. Native and exotic species were equally represented, with native plants valued for shading benefits. Agroforestry home gardens are vital for conserving and cultivating food species. Their specific purposes influence species distribution and selection, showcasing their socioeconomic and environmental significance. Thus, recognizing and investing in these land-use systems is crucial to maintain and enhance regional benefits.

The Impacts of Peri-Urban Expansion on Municipal and Ecosystem Services: Experiences from Makhado Biaba Town, South Africa

The sub-Saharan cities are growing and changing due to immigration and modernization. One of the consequences of the current urbanization is that an increasing number of families residing in peri-urban areas of small rural towns lack access to basic municipal and ecosystem services. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the impacts of peri-urban expansion on municipal services provided by the governments and on ecosystems services through a case study of a small rural town called Makhado Biaba in Limpopo Province of South Africa. Makhado Biaba has been experiencing incessant rapid physical expansion over the years. Such spatial expansion into the peri-urban zone impacts the provision of municipal services such as water, electricity, sewerage, and refuse collection. In 2020, an exploratory mixed-methods study of some anthropocentric and ecosystem changes in Makhado Biaba Local Municipality in northeast South Africa was executed. Land use was mapped for the time period of 1990–2020, data were gathered through a household questionnaire in six villages, and interviews were held with municipal officials. Among others, the study showed that several municipal services are available in the peri-urban villages of Makhado Biaba Town despite the distant locations outside the urban core. However, services are not uniformly distributed due to that new peri-urban developments that are leapfrogging into vacant land without supporting infrastructure. The pace of the municipality in providing the necessary municipal services such as water and energy supply, as well as sanitation and refuse removal, is lagging behind the development of new and unplanned housing areas. The findings bring about information about the suburban livelihoods and how the administration of the peri-urban areas can respond to the needs of the inhabitants as well as to future challenges. For instance, to facilitate local development, recurrent and well-structured citizen dialogs with local groups to identify delivery failures are strongly recommended. In addition, the impact on ecosystem services by the city development and land use change stresses the need for guided urban development and expansion and also settlement upgrading programs in peri-urban zones to limit the bad effect on ecosystem services.

PERI-URBAN REGIONS OF INDIAN CITIES: IMPEDIMENTS AND CONCERNS

In Indian cities, peri-urban zones, often known as the transitional areas between urban and rural settings, are seeing fast growth. These areas are distinguished by their intricate socioeconomic dynamics, fast urbanisation, and prevalence of informality. This study looks at the difficulties that peri-urban zones of Indian cities confront, concentrating on the obstacles and worries that exist in these areas. The research consisted of a literature evaluation followed by case studies to determine the most important problems and worries. According to the findings, peri-urban regions in India confront a number of challenges, the most significant of which are inadequate infrastructure, unplanned development, weak governance, and environmental degradation. Concerns include things like how land is used, where people live and work, their health, their childrens education, and other public services. The paper comes to a close with a discussion of the implications of these challenges and concerns, as well as offering recommendations to address them in a manner in which city managers can play an important role and track their thought process regarding sustainable planned development for respective cities. KEYWORDS: Urbanization, Rural-urban interface, Infrastructure, Land use, Sustainability

GROUND TRUTHING: STUDYING PERI-URBANIZATION AND LAND-BASED LIVELIHOODS IN MANKWENG AND ITS ENVIRONS (LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA)

Abstract. Peri-urbanization is often referred to as a transition zone following either an urban-rural gradient or an inner and outer peri-urban zone. Contrary to these notions and linked to its history in a former homeland, peri-urbanization in Mankweng appears as a complex and erratic process in reaction to shifting livelihoods, in-migration, and climate change. The process of ground truth for the study was designed by accommodating a combination of remote sensing images of WorldView-3 for the densely, vastly changing populated area (200 km2) and of Sentinel-2 for the overall study area of 400 km2. For the purpose of intensive data gathering, 16 plus three additional sites were selected in the area covered with the very high-resolution imagery as well as transect drives in the rural part. The study sites were selected and well distributed based on specific parameters such as building density, home garden size, road type with the goal of better interpreting what can be distinguished on the imagery and what influences land-based livelihoods. Additional information was gathered from informants during the ground truth through open questions and informal discussions. A solid knowledge of the land uses and land cover, including housing structures, agricultural practices, and challenges of land-based subsistence, was attained. The results revealed influential change drivers, settlement structure types, distinct development patterns, changes in traditional land-based livelihood specifically in terms of agriculture in the region and indicators for a functional zoning of the area. The ground truth provides a thorough basis for the object-based image analysis of the 200 km2 peri-urban area being next.

Spatially explicit mixed-use indicators to measure life quality across the city — A conceptual framework and case study: Piaseczno — A medium sized city in the peri-urban zone of Warsaw, Poland

The challenges of the modern world, such as urban population growth and climate change, have necessitated a change in cities. Current trends related to the design of cities have highlight the essence of mixed-use urban areas. Determining mixed-use at a fine-grained level is challenging. Our new approach uses the ‘floating window’ method to determine the fine-grained local values of mixed-use indicators based on data from multiple sources. This method captures a continuous picture of changes in the values of indicators across the city. To test the developed analysis methodology, we performed a case study for the city of Piaseczno, located 18 km from Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. We have shown that mixed-use indicators defined in various ways can lead to varying assessments across the city. To solve this problem, we proposed a combined mixed-use indicator. This method is an innovative approach to analyzing a data set, because it is independent of imposed administrative boundaries or other city divisions into smaller areas. The developed methodology allows for a diagnosis of cities and, by introducing measurable indicators, selecting areas for improving the quality of life is improved over methods based only on the available statistical data.

Typology of Peri-Urban Farming Households in the Tahoua Region, Niger Republic

This paper presents a typology of peri-urban farming households in the Tahoua region of Niger. These farms are managed by peri-urban households distributed according to the agroecological zones of this region. The results were obtained from surveys conducted in five villages with 21 heads of household per village, giving 105 heads of household located in the urban communes of the Tahoua region. The objective of this paper is to highlight, through the analysis of the results, the issues of urbanization of the rural sector, marital status, level of education, granary capacity, different food productions, labor force, and composition in the peri-urban areas of the emerging and agro-ecological UBT. The study will establish a diagnosis of these areas around the secondary cities of Tahoua. The tests of normality and equality of variances allowed us to establish an ANOVA between the agroecological and emergent peri-urban zones. A high percentage of household heads have been found to be illiterate. It stands for peri-urban agricultural, agro-pastoral, and pastoral areas at 55%, 45%, and 43% respectively. Finally, the demographic pressure of the peri-urban agropastoral zone causes a decrease in the average surface areas of the plots.

Assessing and mapping spatial accessibility of peri-urban and rural neighborhood of Durgapur Municipal Corporation, India: A tool for transport planning

The urban growth and its relation to transport network within the peri-urban zone were investigated in this paper. Using multi-temporal satellite imageries and road network data, the current study investigates a tool for transport planning and how it creates impact on the growth of built-up area. For the years 2001, 2011 and 2021, Landsat TM and OLI TIRS satellite images were used to create built-up area as well as the network data has been extracted from the different sources and create two 309*309 metrics table for the accessing of accessibility of peri-urban and rural neighborhood of Durgapur Municipal Corporation. From the above two metrics table alpha, beta, gamma, pi, grid tree pattern degree of connectivity, average shortest path length, shimbel index, connectivity index etc. have been calculated and mapped. Using the Open Root Service tools, the travel time from the peri-urban and rural neighborhood to city center has been also calculated. From the different above index, it has been observed that the along the NH-2, the accessibility is high. On the other hand, to show the built-up characteristics, direction and distance wise the built-up density and built-up expansion intensity index have been also analyzed. The highest expansion rate and intensity has been observed in the WNW, NNW, ESE and SSE direction. The geographical weightage regression also has been applied in this study to show the relation between built-up area and road density. The findings of this study could help regional planners assess the current state of active transportation options and pinpoint areas that need more attention to make them more accessible when allocating new urban facilities or reallocating those that are already there to lessen the negative effects that individual motorized transportation has on urban mobility.

Urban green spaces and social vulnerability in Brazilian metropolitan regions: Towards environmental justice

This study assesses the spatial correlation between urban green space and social vulnerability in five Brazilian metropolitan regions (MR), Distrito Federal, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, and São Paulo, containing 20 % of the country’s urban population. The spatial correlation method used was exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) with the Moran index and local indicator space association (LISA). In the analyzed municipalities, the urban green spaces are not mostly concentrated in areas with better social indices. In four MR, the most representative scenario (in terms of area), was the high social vulnerability accompanied by a high number of urban green spaces. This scenario was observed in peri-urban zones in the analyzed MR. The Distrito Federal (containing the national capital, Brasilia) was the only one case where the concentration of green spaces appeared in the most socially privileged areas. Regarding the most representative scenario, the major problem is not the lack of urban green spaces but the absence of a policy for the implementation of complementary urban facilities in such green spaces. These policies are fundamental for turning urban green spaces into places for social interaction, landscape contemplation, leisure, and culture. Therefore, in the context of land use policies, when green spaces are included among the set of the urban facilities, they become promoters of environmental and spatial justice and can reduce inequality in cities.

Study on soil quality in different functional zones of Sofia region

The present study deals with examining the condition of urban soils and their potential to deliver soil-related regulating ecosystem services concerning the level of anthropogenic pressure in different functional zones of Sofia, Bulgaria. Analyses of data for selected characteristics of superficial 0-10 cm soil layer of urban soils were performed. Soils were sampled from 30 experimental plots within a geo-referred network covering urban and peri-urban territories. The concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb and Fe were analysed to determine the level of pollution, while soil pH, cation-exchange capacity (CEC), total carbon and total nitrogen content were used as indicators for assessing the regulating ecosystem service “soil quality”. The results demonstrate the differences in the potential of four functional zones – green zones, industrial zones, residential zones and zones for urban agriculture, to regulate and maintain “soil quality”. The purpose of the assessment is to outline the zones with the potential for implicating mitigation measures in urban and peri-urban zones, based on maps of soil quality, which contributes to focusing more attention on the protection and restoration of urban soils, to reduce soil pollution and to increase the reuse of urban soils.

Where Is the Peri-Urban? A Systematic Review of Peri-Urban Research and Approaches for Its Identification and Demarcation Worldwide

Metropolitan areas worldwide have grown rapidly and are usually surrounded by peri-urban zones that are neither urban nor rural. Despite widespread use of the term ‘peri-urban’, physical determination of these spaces is difficult due to their transient nature and multiple definitions. While many have identified peri-urban areas regionally or globally, questions persist on where exactly the peri-urban is located, and what are the most apt methods to delineate its boundaries. The answers are pertinent towards framing targeted policies for governing the dynamic socio-spatial transformations in these zones. This paper reviews peri-urban research over the last 50-plus years to discern the existing methodologies for its identification/demarcation and their applications. For this, a total of 3124 documents on peri-urban studies were identified through keyword searches in Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Thereafter, 56 documents were examined that explicitly dealt with demarcating peri-urban zones. Results reveal that there is no standout/generalized method for peri-urban demarcation. Rather, these approaches are geographically specific and vary across developed and developing countries, due to differences in land-use patterns, socioeconomic drivers, and political systems. Thus, we recommend developing a ‘pluralistic’ framework for determining peri-urban boundaries at the regional–global scale to enable better framing of relevant policies.

ANALYSIS OF PERI-URBAN LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION AND ITS SPATIO-TEMPORAL TRANSFORMATIONS: THE CASE OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF QUITO

Latin American contemporary cities are facing a rapidly urban dispersion which is mainly occurring in periurban zones. Since these transitional spaces remain geographically and conceptually unclear, having a greater understanding of its landscape composition has become a key issue for territorial planning purposes. In this article, the Metropolitan District of Quito urban-rural gradient landscape composition and its spatiotemporal transformations are analysed. Using satellite images of very high resolution of two periods, five Land Use-Land Covers (LULC) were identified in sixty-four sample polygons. Based on that, a transition matrix and a stability index were developed to analyse landscape composition change intensity. Results demonstrate that peri-urban areas show the highest landscape instability, although through a great diversity of land occupation typologies. The four dominant typologies are analysed. Parsing LULCs independently, vegetation showed the greatest instability, which significantly alters ecosystems and their services. On the other hand, mega-road infrastructure appears to be one of the most dramatic drivers of peri-urban transformation, since samples crossed by new highways experienced the greatest landscape transformation on average. Finally, this methodology and insights could be extrapolated to other Latin American cities, where micro-scale policymaking should be a priority in scenarios of complex and highly heterogeneous peri-urbanization.

ANALYSIS OF PERI-URBAN LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION AND ITS SPATIO-TEMPORAL TRANSFORMATIONS: THE CASE OF THE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF QUITO

Latin American contemporary cities are facing a rapidly urban dispersion which is mainly occurring in periurban zones. Since these transitional spaces remain geographically and conceptually unclear, having a greater understanding of its landscape composition has become a key issue for territorial planning purposes. In this article, the Metropolitan District of Quito urban-rural gradient landscape composition and its spatiotemporal transformations are analysed. Using satellite images of very high resolution of two periods, five Land Use-Land Covers (LULC) were identified in sixty-four sample polygons. Based on that, a transition matrix and a stability index were developed to analyse landscape composition change intensity. Results demonstrate that peri-urban areas show the highest landscape instability, although through a great diversity of land occupation typologies. The four dominant typologies are analysed. Parsing LULCs independently, vegetation showed the greatest instability, which significantly alters ecosystems and their services. On the other hand, mega-road infrastructure appears to be one of the most dramatic drivers of peri-urban transformation, since samples crossed by new highways experienced the greatest landscape transformation on average. Finally, this methodology and insights could be extrapolated to other Latin American cities, where micro-scale policymaking should be a priority in scenarios of complex and highly heterogeneous peri-urbanization.

Unequal periurban mobility: Travel patterns, modal choices and urban core dependence in Latin America

Latin America is a highly urbanized region characterized by remarkable inequality levels, also reflected in an uneven distribution of opportunities, making socio-economic segregation quite visible. Since the individual possibility to travel and therefore access to urban opportunities strongly depends on socio-economic status and the distances to overcome, highly unequal patterns of mobility and accessibility emerge. The continuous expansion of Latin American cities originates specific mobility-related inequalities visible in periurban areas, which tend to lack some key urban opportunities and public transport services usually available in cities. Due to established and new patterns of territorial segregation, these areas may generate new forms of marginality in relation to mobility, posing challenges for public action and territorial governance. Our paper considers if and how periurban areas experience different forms of mobility-related inequalities in three Latin American metropolises in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia (São Paulo, Santiago, and Bogotá, respectively). We do so by examining the differences among urban core and periurban zones based on four elements: socio-demographic features, access to the public transport system, spatial continuity, and functional dependence. Our analysis shows that the three metropolitan regions have different structures: while Bogotá and Santiago appear to be more dependent on the urban core, São Paulo shows more autonomous and self-sufficient periurban zones. The analysis also highlights different forms of peripherality, defined by differentiated mobility patterns and modal choices that suggest that city-specific lines for public action might be needed.

Ixodes ricinus density, Borrelia prevalence and the density of infected nymphs along an urban-rural gradient in southern England.

Ticks are found across a range of habitats, with woodland being particularly important for high densities and prevalence of Borrelia infection. Assessments of risk in urban woodland can be difficult if there are low densities and small sample sizes for Borrelia prevalence estimates. This study targeted six urban woodlands with established tick populations, as well as six woodlands in peri-urban zones and six woodlands in rural zones in and around the cities of Bath and Southampton, in the South of England. Nymph densities were estimated, and 100 nymphs were tested from each of the 18 woodlands studied. Ixodes ricinus ticks were found in all woodlands surveyed, and overall density of nymphs (DON) per 100 m2 was 18.17 in urban woodlands, 26.0 in peri-urban woodlands and 17.67 in rural woodlands. Out of 600 nymphs tested across urban woodlands, 10.3% were infected with Borrelia. The same proportion of nymphs collected in rural woodlands were positive for Borrelia. In peri-urban woodlands, 10.8% of nymphs tested positive. Across both cities combined, density of infected nymphs (DIN) was 2.73 per 100 m2 in peri-urban woodland, 1.87 per 100 m2 in urban woodland and 1.82 per 100 m2 in rural woodland. Overall, DON, Borrelia prevalence and DIN did not differ significantly along an urban-rural gradient. This suggests the risk of Lyme borreliosis transmission could be similar, or perhaps even elevated in urban woodland if there is higher public footfall, subsequent contact with ticks and less awareness of the risks. This is particularly important from a public health perspective, as Borrelia garinii dominated across the gradient and this genospecies is linked to neuroborreliosis.

Urban growth in peri-urban, rural and urban areas: Mexico City

This remote sensing study compares growth occurring in three urban types between 2005 and 2014: peri-urban, rural and urban, in a fast-growing metropolitan region west of Mexico City. Future urban growth for the period 2014–24 is modelled using the land-use/cover change (LUCC) model Geomod. Urban expansion is correlated with some socio-territorial factors and the impacts are assessed for the loss of biomass. In both periods, the urban zone differed the most from the other two in terms of urban expansion. The Geomod predictions overestimate the urban expansion in the urban zone and underestimate it in the peri-urban and rural zones. Significant differences exist in the average urban expansion between zones. The main urban growth drivers were elevation, population density, distance to previous urban land and distance to roads. A substantial loss of biomass is due to urban growth, including expansion and infill. The research reveals significant differences in growth between peri-urban, rural and urban areas, and contributes spatial information for designing focused land-use policies in dynamic urban contexts. <em><strong>Policy relevance</strong></em> This article contributes to understanding the differentiated urban growth of urban, peri-urban and rural areas, which can translate into more precise and effective public policies. Urban expansion and infill patterns differ. For peri-urban and rural areas, the main growth is infill, so actions should be implemented to sustainably manage the vacant or undeveloped land within an existing human settlement to prevent further expansion, but also to avoid the loss of priority areas for the provision of ecosystem services. In urban areas where the main urban increment is expansion, sensible consolidation decisions need to be taken to avoid further urban expansion and the incorporation of urban green space.

Mobilizing rurality in peri-urban water contestation: A case from Dhulikhel, a lower Himalaya town of Nepal

While urbanization is a global phenomenon, it is now more rapid in the countries in the Global South. Municipal authorities of burgeoning peri-urban areas in the lower Himalaya region are struggling to deal with the new geographies of water demand. Rapidly growing towns primarily access water from upstream rural water sources, while upstream communities themselves are increasing their water consumption as they gradually integrate in the peri-urban area themselves. This ‘reorganization’ of water has intensified contestation between upstream rural communities and downstream urban authorities. This paper examines the different narratives mobilized in the contestation of water transfer projects to the rapidly growing town of Dhulikhel in Nepal. Our analysis deploys Follman’s three perspectives on peri-urbanity to throw light on these discourses. From a transitional perspective, it shows how peri-urbanization heightens water demands across the peri-urban zone and heightens competition between water users. A territorial perspective questions the administrative subdivision of the peri-urban region, and its effects on the way water users envision water sharing as restricted within territorial boundaries. Finally, a third, functional perspective reveals how in more rural municipalities, the traditional rural character is emphasized to claim priority in the access to water, thereby giving rise to a divisive identity politics. From this analysis, we argue that peri-urbanization is a dynamic process shaped not merely by urban expansion, but by the interactions between rural and urban communities and functions. While increasingly integrated, peri-urban territories, by intensifying competition for resources, are also a fertile ground for a re-assertion of rural identities and rural-urban binaries.

HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATED WATER APPLICATION AND HOW IT AFFECTS SOIL AND PLANTS THROUGH PHYTOREMEDIATION

Water is increasingly being applied for irrigation in vegetable cultivation in the peri-urban zones of rapidly rising cities. Wastewater being used by Farmers is heavily polluted with poisonous heavy metals as a result of industrial discharge and other human activities. As a result, long-term wastewater application is detrimental to soil and vegetable health. The current study looked at the heavy metal concentration (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) in agricultural soil, water, and vegetable samples. Heavy metals are the high-density content and not easily accumulated in the soil and water. these metals are dissolved in soil through anthropogenic processes, like humans are using the metals like mercury in lab and after the use they dispose these metal on the soil surface. When these metals are put on the soil surface they decompose and leach into the soil subsurface layer after that they percolate into groundwater.

Road infrastructure expansion and socio-spatial fragmentation in the peri-urban zone in Accra, Ghana

The implementation of large-scale projects including road infrastructures is often seen as the driver of socio-economic growth and development of countries. Interestingly, in the Global South, road infrastructures trigger various socio-spatial impacts, including fragmentations and changes in the quality of life in cities, however, little attention is given to that. This paper addresses the question: how does socio-spatial fragmentation triggered by road expansion connect to different domains of peri-urban life in Accra, Ghana? The research employed a case study approach using qualitative, quantitative and spatial methods to examine how socio-spatial fragmentations triggered by road expansion affect different domains of Accra peri-urban quality of life, Ghana, at the community level. The study found that with the road infrastructure, gated housing types emerged, and low-income residents were displaced into the hinterlands, leading to residential segregation, which negatively affected social interactions in peri-urban Accra. Moreover, though the road infrastructure improved the connectivity of physical infrastructure services, which attracted more people to the studied communities, informal settlements emerged within certain parts of them due to the non-enforcement of planning regulations, creating some fragmentation processes. The findings of the study suggest that fragmentation is due to policy shortcomings and improvements in housing and services domains.