Rural Sprawl Research Articles

Social Injustice Inflicted by Spatial Changes in Vernacular Settings: An Analysis of Published Literature

It is well known that every kind of development has the tendancy to produce spatial disparity or spatial justice. However, usually, it is the demand-driven, rural, non-agricultural transitional area development considered the prime cause of concern for policy planners. Indeed, this is an area where spatial justice needs to be ensured so that development is just for all and not lopsided for any single stakeholder. For example, there is a need to ensure that fair allocation of land development rights rests with the village dwellers. Usually, the market is biased in favour of allocating premium land of the vernacular settlements to expand the city for new city dwellers who wish to get new parcels of land for developing housing. Plan-led spatial changes without corrective mediation between villagers and the city dwellers also lead to bias decision-making. Transition from rural sprawl to urban compactness suggests institutional change need be adopted in governance so that socio-spatial justice for villagers is incorporated into an integrated city. In this context, this paper examines the current knolwdge reflected through academic narratives of social injustice inflicted by spatial change. This paper presents the concept of spatial justice as an umbrella term encompassing all political, social, economic, and environmental forms. Gentrification and peri-urbanization are two spatial changes that do injustice to certain social groups. The paper employs both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques. It conducts primarily a document survey, analysing published research related to development and social and spatial justics issues. The documents discussing the role of planning in achieving spatial justice until 2023 are examined. The paper reveals that while formal planning often marginalizes vernacular settlements, participatory and communitydriven planning processes show potential for addressing issues of spatial injustice. The paper concludes that the investigation into spatial justice within vernacular settlements must account for unique socio-cultural, environmental, and economic dynamics.

Constructing ecological corridors in response to extensive rural sprawl in a highly developed urban agglomeration

Constructing ecological corridors in response to extensive rural sprawl in a highly developed urban agglomeration

Ecological Grassland Restoration—A South African Perspective

The principal drivers of Grassland Biome conversion and degradation in South Africa include agricultural intensification, plantation forestry, urban expansion and mining, together with invasive non-native plants and insidious rural sprawl. This biome is poorly conserved and in dire need of restoration, an ecologically centred practice gaining increasing traction given its wide application to people and biodiversity in this emerging culture of renewal. The pioneering proponent of restoration in South Africa is the mining industry, primarily to restore surface stability using vegetation cover. We noticed a historical progression from production-focussed non-native pastures to more diverse suites of native species and habitats in the restoration landscape. This paradigm shift towards the proactive “biodiversity approach” necessitates assisted natural regeneration, mainly through revegetation with grasses, using plugs, sods and/or seeds, together with long-lived perennial forbs. We discuss key management interventions such as ongoing control of invasive non-native plants, the merits of fire and grazing, and the deleterious impacts of fertilisers. We also highlight areas of research requiring further investigation. The “biodiversity approach” has limitations and is best suited to restoring ecological processes rather than attempting to match the original pristine state. We advocate conserving intact grassland ecosystems as the key strategy for protecting grassland biodiversity, including small patches with disproportionately high biodiversity conservation value.

Social justice in spatial change:transition from autonomous rural development to integrated urbanization in China

Village-based bottom-up industrialization and urbanization in high-density dynamic regions give rise to prevalent rural sprawl in a form of considerable fragmentation in land uses, which begs for planning intervention. A paradigm of compact city is aiming to cure the rural sprawl. Nevertheless, spatial restructuring entails reconfiguration of villages' landed interests, which beckons spatial justice discourses. Market-driven rural non-agricultural development without fair allocation of land development rights between villages has given rise to market bias due to the location premium in the land market. Plan-led spatial change without corrective mediation between villages constitutes planning bias. Transition from rural sprawl to urban compactness suggests institutional change in governance jurisdiction from rural villages to urban districts. Inequality between villages caused by market and planning biases has to be dealt with so as to create initial equality based on socio-spatial justice for villages as rural entities to be incorporated into an integrated city. This paper builds up the narratives of social injustice inflicted by spatial change. Gentrification and informal in situ urbanization are two phenomenal spatial changes that do injustice to certain social classes and groups. Implementation of new planning paradigm entailing spatial change could also incur injustice to some of the stakeholders, which beckons institutional intervention to address spatial injustice.

Phosphorous, farms, and families: Institutional narratives about agricultural intensification and water quality in northeastern Wisconsin

Institutional narratives are a discursive form of power where people engage in the development and promulgation of narratives that connect descriptions of how institutions work with arguments for particular courses of action. This paper uses the concept of institutional narratives to analyze how the family farm as a social construct is used as a normative mechanism for meaning making around agricultural intensification and rural sprawl. We examined narratives among residents in the lower Fox River and Green Bay Watersheds of Wisconsin surrounding growth and change and the problem of poor water quality, which occurs primarily through excess phosphorous loading, and identified two institutional narratives among stakeholders, each with different framings of key problems related to water quality. The first narrative problematized agricultural intensification and the second problematized rural sprawl, yet both narratives relied on a societal construct of the family farmer as a cornerstone of ideal rural institutions and an indicator of how change ought to occur. Findings demonstrate ways in which notions of idealized rural community life are politicized though narratives that connect rural problems such as water pollution with normative claims about who has the right to inhabit and use rural spaces.

The Effect of Rural Buildings on Landscape Fragmentation in Natura 2000 Sites: A Case Study in Sardinia

Landscape fragmentation (LF) is the process where habitat patches tend to become smaller and more isolated over time. It is mainly due to human activities and affects habitats, biodiversity, ecosystem balance, and ecological networks. Transport and mobility infrastructures and urbanized areas—also in the form of suburban and rural sprawl—contribute to LF and can be localized close to (or included in) Natura 2000 sites (N2000 sites). N2000 sites are set according to the Habitats and Birds Directives and consist of special protection areas, sites of community importance, and special areas of conservation, where LF may threaten habitat quality and species survival and dispersal. Then, new rules and planning approaches are called for defining effective protection measures. The knowledge of the context appears to be a priority to achieve such aims. Therefore, this study focuses on LF in N2000 sites. We apply the rural buildings fragmentation index (RBFI) and the effective mesh density (Seff) in six landscape units in Sardinia (Italy). Then, we report on the least and the most fragmented N2000 sites and assess if there is correlation between RBFI and Seff. In this study, RBFI and Seff provide not trivial outcomes, as they are weakly and positively correlated.

소멸가능 과소화 농촌지역에 대한 생태복원과 환경관리 제도를 통한 농촌관광전략에 대한 연구

소멸가능 과소화 농촌지역에 대한 생태복원과 환경관리 제도를 통한 농촌관광전략에 대한 연구

Uneven urban-region sprawl of China’s megaregions and the spatial relevancy in a multi-scale approach

As a global phenomenon, megaregions are now and will continue to be the main form of urbanization, especially in developing countries including China. Although megaregions have been viewed as the most powerful formation to accelerate urbanization, the unprecedented regional growth and the uneven urban-region sprawl between different cities are emerging as critical problems. Despite many concerns about rapid regional growth from social and economic perspectives, not much is known about the multi-scale dynamic of urban-region sprawl in terms of land use. In this study, we examined the two most important megaregions of China, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (B-T-H) and the Yangtze River Delta region (Y-R-D), to understand their urban-region sprawl patterns and the relevancy of multiple spatial scales among different types of cities. The analysis included directly identifying the developed land from remotely sensed data collected between 1980 and 2010. The results showed that (1) at the regional scale, although both megaregions expanded rapidly during 1980–2010, the obvious difference existed in their regional sprawl patterns. The sprawling rate of Y-R-D was obviously higher than that of B-T-H, implying the megaregions implemented quite different development strategies. (2) At the city scale, both the dominant and non-dominant cities within the megaregions had distinct contributions to the regional sprawl of the mega cities. The greatest contribution from the dominant cities was the fast expansion of the main urban areas; the greatest contribution of the non-dominant cities was the fast rural sprawl. Overall, the varied spatial differences in the regional sprawl of China’s megaregions highlight that sustainable regional development requires multi-scale joint development plan management, not only considering the synergy of cities with different sizes, but also the synergy between urban and rural areas.

The Physical Transformations due to the Rural Sprawl in Rural Settlements of Hamadan Periphery

Purpose: One of such changes is the rural sprawl and its physical-spatial consequences in rural areas and their surrounding lands which has led to land use change in agricultural lands, gardens and less planed physical changes. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted in a descriptive-analytical method using field works, regular interviews and monitoring of satellite images and GIS maps. This study sought to identify and explain the natural consequences of rural sprawl in the physical area of villages and their surroundings during a 20-year period from 1995 to2016. The study area included 24 large rural settlements around Hamadan County with an average rural population of 2,800 people in areas with farmlands and gardens. Finding: The findings showed that rural sprawl has resulted in unplanned proximity and intermingling of rural-urban functions in rural settlements, physical changes in surrounding rural settlements, changes in diversity and composition of rural land uses, changes in physical structure of rural areas, and increased number of single-family residential units and villas. Research limitations/implications: Difficulty in gathering data about the rural areas’ physical changes and access to data and documentation of some organizations and interviews with some groups were among the challenges of the study. Practical implications: Management based on settlement systems of suburban towns and villages in the form of rural-urban ties and metropolitan area of Hamadan (in macro level), integrated management based on legal limits of the villages and their immediate areas, regulatory and more planned intervention through compliance of the uses with the structures and functions of the villages were some of the recommendations in the managerial and planning level. Originality/value: There have been a limited number of studies on emerging concepts and phenomena in the villages surrounding the metropolises and big cities. Therefore, it was necessary to conduct a study and discuss the consequences of rural sprawl as a phenomenon in villages round cities.

The social context of U.S. built landscapes

In this paper, we present a quantified, GIS-based analysis of the relationship between urban morphological patterns and racial, ethnic, and household characteristics. We want to understand how the built landscapes of American cities differ in sociological terms—for example, are some more prone to racial concentration or prevalence of particular family types? Since many built landscape types are relatively recent and rapidly growing, this analysis can inform current debates about sprawl and inequality. We examined six diverse U.S. metropolitan regions: Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Portland, and Sacramento, joining census block data with built landscape patterns mapped in GIS through aerial imagery analysis. We find that a large portion of our six metropolitan regions consists of patterns that can be characterized as sprawl—patterns that are often manifestations of a desire for separation. This separation has significant equity implications because resources—services, amenities, schools, parks, tax base, etc.—are not evenly distributed. Further, two of our patterns (Rural Sprawl and Upscale Enclave), which are growing rapidly and most often occur on the urban fringe, have the least diverse demographics across all six metro areas. These landscapes are also by far the least dense, leading to a range of negative environmental impacts. Older built landscape types (Urban Grids, Rectangular Block Grids, and Degenerate Grids) are denser and relatively diverse. These have lower rates of occupancy in most urban areas, indicating an opportunity to house additional residents in relatively well-located, well-connected, and diverse central portions of metropolitan regions.

Physical location factors of metropolitan and rural sprawl: Geostatistical analysis of three Mediterranean areas in Southern Spain

Physical location factors of metropolitan and rural sprawl: Geostatistical analysis of three Mediterranean areas in Southern Spain

The Survey and Analysis of Rural Smart Development Indicators (Case Study: Villages in Binaloud County)

The Survey and Analysis of Rural Smart Development Indicators (Case Study: Villages in Binaloud County)

Where a Subdivision Is Not a “Subdivision”: State Enabling Statutes and the Local Regulation (or Not) of Land Division in the United States

Subdivision control has long been a central pillar of planning. Nonetheless, many American states statutorily exempt entire classes of land division from local subdivision control. This legal analysis therefore asks the following: Which land divisions are localities actually enabled by statute to regulate as “subdivisions”? Which are exempted from subdivision control? What are the implications for development and planning, particularly at the exurban fringe? This fifty-state review reveals diverse ways subdivisions are defined and particular divisions—involving no new streets, large parcels, or small numbers of lots—commonly exempted from regulation, and possible consequences for managing rural sprawl.

Urban Agriculture, Commons and Urban Policies: Scaling up Local Innovation

May urban agriculture be the cornerstone that helps reconfigure more sustainable cities and if so, under which conditions? And if so, what type of urban agriculture? Such are the two issues underlying this article. Why not counteracting urban sprawl by fostering what could be called “rural sprawl”, by introducing nature and rural characteristics such as farming within the city, in its interstitial areas and wastelands? In this perspective, urban agriculture becomes a common good, bringing people together and reshaping the whole urban fabric that would eventually propose a radical remaking of the urban. Urban agriculture lends particularly well to long-lasting urban policies, especially those turning environmental “bads”—such as brownfields and wastelands—into environmental “goods” and urban amenities. Urban agriculture in interstitial abandoned urban areas may be one of cities’ main seedbeds of creative innovation. It is all about the right to decide and the power to create, renewing and deepening what Henri Lefebvre called The Right to the City.

TDR Program Performance in Florida

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Transfer of development rights (TDR) programs can help manage growth through the exchange of development rights from sending areas targeted for protection to receiving areas targeted for development. We ask 1) what TDR approaches are used in Florida, and 2) which approaches effectively help communities manage growth? We identify three distinct TDR approaches, corresponding to different stages in Florida's growth management policies. Conventional TDR programs reflect Florida's early growth management policies by facilitating rural-to-urban transfers; they have had limited impact. Hybrid TDR programs reflect a smart growth orientation; they have been most successful at retiring vested development rights in areas that cannot support growth. Rural TDR programs reflect a recent focus on economic development; they have saved many acres, but too often at the expense of increased rural sprawl. Some successful programs owe their outcomes largely to public land purchases and not to private market exchanges. We conclude that most Florida TDR programs do little to manage growth, and that acres conserved is an inadequate and often misleading measure of program success.Takeaway for practice: To manage urban growth, planners must ensure that TDR programs operate in alignment with local comprehensive plans. Planners must assess the performance of TDR programs with measures other than acres preserved and adopt complementary policies that facilitate density to make TDR programs effective.

The potential impacts of sprawl on farmland in Northeast China—Evaluating a new strategy for rural development

China's “building a new countryside” strategy for coordinating urban and rural development and gearing up national economic growth brings challenges to the country's farmland protection. The objective of this study is to evaluate potential impacts of implementing the strategy on farmland and to provide scientific guidelines and decision support for decision makers in northeast China. We analyzed three “building a new countryside” implementation scenarios (Historical Trend, Intensive Development, and Extensive Development) using the SLEUTH urban growth and land cover change model in combination with remote sensing and GIS analysis. The results indicated that farmland loss was inevitable, but revealed large differences in landscape patterns and the amount of farmland loss among the three BNC implementation scenarios. The Extensive Development scenario showed the largest increase in urban and rural residential land, the highest level of landscape fragmentation, and the largest loss of farmland. Farmland loss under the Intensive Development scenario is higher than that under the Historical Trend scenario; however, urban and rural sprawl and the fragmentation of landscape under the Intensive Development scenario were lower than those under the Historical Trend scenario. Consequently, the Intensive Development scenario was recommended for actual “building a new countryside” implementation in the study area. Potential rural sprawl under the Intensive Development scenario was also discussed, which provided useful information for guiding scientific-based decision support and policy making. While most studies of sprawl prediction involve urban centers only, our study presents a case of predicting urban and rural sprawl simultaneously.

The Rise of the Postmodern Metropolis: Spatial Evolution of the Sacramento Metropolitan Region

This paper examines Sacramento, CA, as a case study of urban form in the evolving postmodern metropolis. Data were integrated from historical maps, aerial photographs and on-the-ground observation into a GIS database for the region, and historic and current built form were analyzed. Main findings include (1) the rapid spatial expansion and proliferation of built landscape forms within the postmodern region; (2) the rise of rural sprawl as a landscape type; (3) the peak in ex-urban land subdivision in the 1970s and 1980s; (4) the changing public sector role in driving urban expansion; and (5) the limited achievements thus far of growth management efforts and the New Urbanism.

Support vector machine approach to identifying buildings using multi-temporal ALOS/PALSAR data

Accurate detection of built-up areas is valuable for quantifying the level of urbanization and monitoring the decreasing amount of agricultural land. In this study, three-temporal, dual-polarization Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS)/Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) images were integrated to map buildings in the Yangtze River Delta of East China, where land has been intensively used. The results show that the support vector machine (SVM) classifier performs well in identifying buildings, with an accuracy of 90% in urban areas and 95% in rural areas, even with only a small number of training samples. Buildings in urban areas are more likely to be underestimated (commission error of 15%) than those in a rural environment. Visual inspection and quantitative analysis confirmed that the Local Sigma Filter considerably reduced random speckle noise in the PALSAR imagery. Thus, the filter is suitable for enhancing feature extraction of future multi-polarization and multi-temporal SAR imagery. Overall, the buildings identification approach proposed in this study could serve as a valuable tool for operational monitoring of rural land use change and urban sprawl.

Tracing wealth, cooperation and trust: A comparison of two great plains communities

This research examines the relationships between wealth, cooperation, and trust. Utilizing implications from the social capital literature and democratic theory, we found that trust directly affects patterns of socio-economic interactions, especially shopping. We also found that commuting was widespread and it created a rural sprawl deficit that affected trust. Specifically, the results indicated that trust of others in the community (generalized to a certain degree) tended to encourage people to shop more in town, thus contributing to the development of the community, even when controlling for commuting. Findings from this study suggest that further community level research will yield more specifics about how trust (and social capital) works to increase wealth in a community.

Introduction: Why a Political Ecology of the U.S. South?

Management challenges related to therelationship between nature and societyare nothing new in the U.S. South. Tech-nical studies of rural sprawl (Wear andGreis 2002; Cho et al. 2003), coastal de-velopment (Allen and Lu 2002), environ-mental change (TNC 2005; Early 2006),and conservation have, at some level, ad-dressed such challenges. So, too, a num-ber of geographers have explored the rolethat particular human-environment re-lationships have played, for example, inurban development in New Orleans andthe distribution of environmental risks(Colten 2005). What then, is the purposeof calling for, and writing on, a politicalecology in the U.S. South? We argue thatpolitical ecology is more than a new termfor nature-society studies (though thenebulousness of the contemporary litera-ture might suggest otherwise), but funda-mentally about the relations of power andknowledge that emerge in the context ofparticular nature-society relationships.This is not to say that the studies citedabove do not engage with issues of power,authority and legitimacy, but to point outthat previous considerations often havecome in the context of separate literaturesand concerns, aimed at different audi-ences, journals and conferences, andtherefore do not truly speak the same lan-guage. While such intellectual hetero-geneity can be an important opportunityfor innovation, the absence of an integra-tive conceptual framing across these liter-atures creates a situation where studies inone literature contain moments of incom-mensurability with studies from other lit-eratures. In these moments, somethinggets lost in translation between, for exam-ple, a study of rural sprawl and a study ofthe politics of conservation.It is this outcome, these moments ofincommensurability that led us to thinkabout a political ecology of the U.S. South.By linking these papers under the headingpolitical ecology, we are able to see howthey speak to issues much larger than thecases raised in each individual paper. Inthis sense, we can move beyond illustra-tive independent case studies and movetoward a broader understanding of the is-sues and processes that shape the out-comes of socionatural relationships, bothin the South and in broader contexts. Thissort of systematic linking is necessary, if