Understanding Peri-Urban Areas

Peri-Urban Terminologies

• Different terms for the peri-urban area includes fringe, rural-urban fringe, ex-urban zone, Peri-Urban Interface, inner fringe, urban shadow, rurban fringe and countryside.

Peri-Urban Definitions

• Wehrwein G. S. defined the "fringe" in 1942 as a transitional area between recognized urban land uses and agricultural areas.
• Pryor R. J. defines it as the transition zone in land use and social and demographic characteristics between continuously built-up urban/suburban areas and the rural hinterland.

Role of the Peri-Urban Area

• It acts as a reservoir of land for urban expansion and development.
• The area produces food for the urban population.
• It serves as a habitat/haven for plants(flora) and animals (fauna).
• Provides a location for outdoor recreation.
• Peri-urban area serves as a commuter zone, with rural settlements acting as dormitory towns.
• This area can provide a place of peace and solitude, fulfilling the desire of urban residents to reconnect with their roots.
• They often serve as sites for urban waste disposal.
• The Peri-Urban Interface is dynamic, with both transition and mixed land uses.
• It should be perceived as a continuum from urban areas to agricultural ones.

Inner Fringe

• It is characterized by land in advanced stages of transition from rural to urban uses.
• The land is under construction.
• There is little doubt about its urban oriented function and ultimate conversion.

Outer Fringe

• The inner and outer fringe together form the rural-urban fringe (AKA urban fringe).
• Rural land uses dominate in the Outer Fringe, even though infiltration of urban oriented elements is clear.
• Both inner and outer fringes include uses such as cemeteries, auto-wrecking yards, and enclosed temporary livestock yards.
• These are naturally attracted to the urban periphery because for their large space requirements and cheaper land costs.
• They are being repelled by the urban area because of their inherent nuisance character.

Urban Shadow

• This is an area where physical evidence of urban influences on the landscape is at a minimum.
• The urban presence is felt in terms of some non-farm land ownership where some non-farm residents live.

Rural Hinterland

• Even in the Rural Hinterland, metropolitan and urban influences exist.
• Urbanites still own properties for weekend retreats and cottages
• People are influenced by urban values and ideas transmitted via media.

Understanding the Zones

• The zones are the result of a complex and dynamic set of processes.
• They are simply different parts of a continuum that merge into one another.
• Pressures for growth are not equal in all directions.
• Growth often follows major access routes.

Forces Underlying the Peri-Urban From

• Pressures of urbanization leads to urban population growth.
• Increased car ownership leads to increased range of locational choice for residence.
• Public investments in roads and infrastructure increase mobility of cars.
• Availability of social amenities like telephone and electricity in the countryside.
• Economic factors include cost of land, housing and general cost of living being cheaper in the PUI.
• Individual rights and preferences includes a desire for country living and clean environment.
• Public policy or lack of planning and development control.
• Land speculation in anticipation of future development.

Land Use and Land Conversion Conflicts

• Changing land ownership patterns occur through the real estate market.
• Scattered development and urban sprawl generate land use conflicts.
• Incompatible uses such as farms, residences, gravel pits, waste disposal, and industries exist side by side.

Problems of Land Conversion

• Rising land values impacts housing costs.
• Large scale developers exert influence over prices by hoarding land purchased at relatively low prices.
• Difficulties arise from land acquistion and property fragmentation.
• Land dealers hold land to gain a price increase.
• Property fragmentation drives up land values with smaller parcels worth more.
• Fragmentation complicates coordinating with potentially many local government.
• It makes future large-scale land assemblies difficult.
• If fragmentation is too great, farming may be affected by the resulting high land prices.

Urban Impacts on the Resource Base

• The natural environment is a support system and land resources include agricultural land, forestry/mining.
• Land resources also include water supply sources and recreational use of the countryside.
• Problems include the loss of prime agricultural lands.
• Consequences of the loss of agricultural land impacts the livelihoods of people, especially women.
• Loss of agricultural land can lead to migration of youth to urban centers.
• Concerns in terms of environmental impacts include ecological protection, pollution and landscape amenities.

Social Issues

• The phenomenon is described as a "re-colonization" or "invasion."
• Integration of rural and urban people occurs in a particular setting with different occupations, origins, and lifestyles.
• Closeness of different groups results in stressful conditions.
• It can potentially cause unhappiness between neighbors.
• Beneficial aspects include citizen leadership on issues such as pipelines, electricity, and road networks.
• The area provides added human resources for rural institutions like churches and service clubs.

Political Management Difficulties

• Land ownership patterns can cause landlessness issues.
• Municipalities or local governments can be unprepared for rapid urban growth in peri-urban areas.
• There is a lack of capacity to deal with peri-urban developments.

Tools for Land Management in the Peri-Urban Interface

• Implementation of zoning regulations.
• Delimitation of areas can occur for land use specifications.
• Identifying permitted and prohibited uses.
• Specification of regulation for particular uses.
• Proactive planning should pre-plan peri-urban areas before physical developments increase.
• Local involvement/initiative in land management is important.
• Participatory planning can include public representatives working with landowners and farmers.
• Management plans should protect non-economic functions of the countryside and for local authority consideration.
• Public purchase of land can control certain types of developments.
• Public acquisitions could be used to attain broader societal goals and alternative livelihood sources .