Periurban Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Le colline litoranee medioadriatiche – Marche, Abruzzo e Molise– mostrano cambiamenti particolarmente complessi in relazione alla dilatazione dei territori periurbani che evolvono con caratteri inediti. La mappa dell’abbandono e del... more

Le colline litoranee medioadriatiche – Marche, Abruzzo e Molise– mostrano cambiamenti particolarmente complessi in relazione alla dilatazione dei territori periurbani che evolvono con caratteri inediti. La mappa dell’abbandono e del sottoutilizzo del patrimonio storico disegna una figura complessa costituita dai luoghi dell’abitare e dallo spazio aperto.
Se le aree più interne e montane sono definite dalla continuità costituita da insediamenti sparsi o accentrati e suolo agricolo incolto, man mano che ci si avvicina al mare o alle terre basse vallive gli antichi centri sommitali, seppure non decentrati, sono espunti dagli attuali orizzonti funzionali, in forma definitiva o in corso di fase. Caso questo che sembra correlato agli stili di vita dominanti nelle aree di cui di fatto sono parte estesa piuttosto che alla difficoltà di accesso ai servizi e alla mobilità.
Per i centri storici interclusi allo spopolamento dovuto al calo demografico si è sommata la preferenza degli abitanti a dislocarsi in prossimità dei fondovalle e della costa o in aree di nuova edificazione: piccoli aggregati, filamenti lungo le strade principali e numerose case sparse. Nella sostanza e al di là del rango, il destino di questi centri mostra una diffusa divaricazione relativa al consumo della città antica e della sua tenuta negli ambiti urbani e territoriali e alcune iniziative locali di contrasto sembrano avere un qualche esito solo laddove i luoghi sono sostenuti da eccellenze eccedenti il valore storico, testimoniale e memoriale dell’insediamento antico.

L’irruzione del periurbano evidenzia oggi l’obsolescenza di una lettura per matrici separate, sollecitando la riorganizzazione di porzioni sempre più ampie di territorio urbanizzato a contatto con lembi di paesaggio agricolo e naturale -... more

L’irruzione del periurbano evidenzia oggi l’obsolescenza di una lettura per matrici separate, sollecitando la riorganizzazione di porzioni sempre più ampie di territorio urbanizzato a contatto con lembi di paesaggio agricolo e naturale - trame agrarie ancora efficienti in tutto o in parte, "terrains vagues", luoghi dell’abbandono - a partire dalle vocazioni dei suoli e dalle eterogenee propensioni al loro uso.
La riflessione interdisciplinare su queste tematiche ha mosso i primi passi in un orizzonte in continua espansione, che inizia a fornire anche alcune risposte puntuali in forma di esperienze amministrative.

Mobility plays an important role in the population’s quality of life and is also an essential tool for spatial planning and development, thus this research intends to contribute to better informed and targeted spatial and mobility... more

Mobility plays an important role in the population’s quality of life and is also an essential tool for spatial planning and development, thus this research intends to contribute to better informed and targeted spatial and
mobility management policies in metropolitan areas, with a special focus on peri-urban areas. To achieve this
aim, a methodological approach was developed to define different types of peri-urban areas according to their
mobility and accessibility characteristics. A set of indicators was proposed as the basis of a cluster analysis of
parishes in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). A new map of the LMA, which reflects a new understanding of
the metropolitan reality, was drawn up. The knowledge provided in this study, which consists of the clear
differentiation of peri-urban areas located in the metropolitan context in terms of mobility, is an important
contribution for policies development and for the management mechanisms of metropolitan mobility.

Prenant acte du développement récent d’un fort discours aménagiste sur les espaces de franges urbaines, cet article propose une méthodologie pour qualifier ces paysages d’entre-deux à partir de deux terrains franciliens. Celle-ci combine... more

Prenant acte du développement récent d’un fort discours aménagiste sur les espaces de franges urbaines, cet article propose une méthodologie pour qualifier ces paysages
d’entre-deux à partir de deux terrains franciliens. Celle-ci combine des critères de forme, d’accessibilité, d’équipement et d’inter-visibilité renseignés à partir de données cartographiques et d’informations collectées in situ permettant de définir plusieurs types de franges. Les résultats obtenus enrichissent les documents existants et alimentent une discussion sur les caractéristiques souvent attribuées à ces franges (mouvantes, déqualifiées, zones de confrontation brutale entre urbain et rural) qui méritent d’être nuancées.

Se analiza la agricultura de dos áreas de la Argentina unidas por la migración de grupos familiares, desde tierras altas hacia el periurbano bonaerense, indagando en la producción a pequeña escala, en los desafíos metodológicos para... more

Se analiza la agricultura de dos áreas de la Argentina unidas por la migración de grupos familiares, desde tierras altas hacia el
periurbano bonaerense, indagando en la producción a pequeña escala, en los desafíos metodológicos para caracterizar a la misma
y en la transmisión de conocimientos locales. La metodología se basó en el análisis de distintas fuentes censales con trabajo
etnográfico. Como resultado se caracterizó a las familias productoras y se logró identificar prácticas y saberes productivos -
alimentarios, así como las articulaciones en el cambio de las condiciones socioambientales de los mismos en el territorio migrante. Se
concluye que la agricultura a pequeña escala resulta una categoría adecuada para este caso y que las familias migrantes consolidaron
en el proceso de migración conocimientos productivos - alimentarios desde la agricultura familiar, lo que posibilita considerar la
existencia de un tipo de soberanía alimentaria desde el consumo

El proceso de colonización en la provincia de Buenos Aires adquirió características peculiares durante el peronismo histórico (1946-1955), en especial durante la gobernación de Domingo Mercante. En ese contexto se re-crea el Instituto... more

El proceso de colonización en la provincia de Buenos Aires adquirió características peculiares
durante el peronismo histórico (1946-1955), en especial durante la gobernación de Domingo
Mercante. En ese contexto se re-crea el Instituto Autárquico de Colonización, que no sólo crea
colonias en la zona agrocerealera bonaerense, sino en un ámbito cercano a las grandes ciudades
como el partido de Florencio Varela. Es propósito de este artículo analizar la Colonia 17 de
Octubre como un caso específico con dedicación a la producción hortifrutícola y la vinculación
con diversos convenios para radicar inmigrantes europeos. Sus aspectos institucionales y
normativos, así como en las cuestiones que hacen a las instancias de sociabilidad y arraigo
de los colonos, la mayoría inmigrantes, como las perspectivas educativas, serán de interés en
este estudio que pretende aportar a comprender mejor el proceso colonizador de la época y su
aplicación en un ámbito no ligado a la producción agroexportadora.

El presente trabajo se propone analizar la relación existente entre educación y colonización agrícola durante el gobierno del peronismo histórico (1946)(1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954) en el ámbito periurbano de la... more

El presente trabajo se propone analizar la relación existente entre educación y colonización agrícola durante el gobierno del peronismo histórico (1946)(1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954) en el ámbito periurbano de la provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina) considerando los cambios y continuidades con el período precedente. Esta vinculación será abordada en el marco de las políticas educativas de las

Facing the challenges of city planning in the frame of rapid urbanization in the Global South, this study addresses the relationship between the urban development of Hanoi, Vietnam, and water supply including users’ perception of water... more

Facing the challenges of city planning in the frame of rapid urbanization in the Global South, this study addresses the relationship between the urban development of Hanoi, Vietnam, and water supply including users’ perception of water accessibility and satisfaction of coverage, quality, and cost. Because sociospatial disparities are particularly pronounced in suburban areas, these spaces epitomize unequal water access and uneven water quality. Based on the premise that (sub)urban water flows embody and mirror development dynamics and urbanization patterns, the objective is to analyze access to water splintered within the suburban typologies of Hanoi. We analyze the current state of domestic water availability and quality throughout suburban areas and specifically between a new urban area and a periurban village in Hanoi. Through the debates of splintering urbanism and periurban water supply, this paper discusses the differences in water service provision in suburban Hanoi. At the same time, the article considers suburban areas as spaces which reflect a broader spectrum of water supply solutions. Lastly, it informs on how to alleviate the pressure of the increasing demand of water in urbanizing areas by supporting sustainable urban water cycles to improve distributional justice and social equity.

We analyze the role of landscape ideology in the recent Ontario Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) Greenbelt Plan. Focusing on the “Protected Countryside,” the major land-use designation in the Plan that structures the Greenbelt framework, we... more

We analyze the role of landscape ideology in the recent Ontario Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) Greenbelt Plan. Focusing on the “Protected Countryside,” the major land-use designation in the Plan that structures the Greenbelt framework, we explore tensions between abstract ideals of countryside used by policy makers to elicit support for the Plan and people's lived experience of material landscapes of the peri-urban fringe. Approaching “countryside” from the combined perspectives of landscape studies and political ecology, we show how the abstract ideals used to build support for the protection of countryside in the high-level political arena are in tension with existing material landscapes as people experience them. When implementing the Greenbelt Plan, the abstract ideals have to be applied at the landscape level through negotiation with municipalities, property owners, and other interests. In addition to drawing upon more conventionally legitimate explanations for landscape protection based on environmental science and land-use planning principles, the designation of Protected Countryside and the strategies used to implement the Protected Countryside designation at the local level suggest a tentative commitment to recognizing landscape values and collaborative environmental management processes in policy-making. As with any such normative land-use plan, the success of the Greenbelt Plan hinges on the long-term agreement between planning agencies and diverse publics. We demonstrate the usefulness of approaching environmental management challenges at the urban–rural interface by bringing the perspectives of landscape studies and political ecology into implementation processes for land-use management strategies like the Greenbelt. We argue that public participants deserve legitimate collaborative roles in negotiating just and desirable land uses based on their experiences, and provide observations on ways to bring contested goals and tools for achieving them into reflexive negotiations about how landscapes are and should be produced.

A B S T R A C T Many countries have implemented laws and planning instruments to preserve farmland on the urban fringe. This paper aims at a better understanding of the governance changes in peri-urban farmland protection following... more

A B S T R A C T Many countries have implemented laws and planning instruments to preserve farmland on the urban fringe. This paper aims at a better understanding of the governance changes in peri-urban farmland protection following decentralisation processes in France and Italy. We compare the implementation of farmland protection instruments in the two city regions of Montpellier and Rome. From a governance perspective, we highlight the practical issues of effectiveness and social acceptability arising from power devolution, different forms of gov-ernance, and the potential conflicts when planning control shifts to lower-than-regional bodies. Our analysis is based on qualitative methods. Primary data were collected through document analysis, participant observation and in-depth interviews aimed at understanding local stakeholders' practices and points of view on access to farmland, housing and building rights. We find that around Rome and Montpellier, decentralisation has produced multiple decision-making authorities and increased the complexity of procedures. Despite more regulatory constraints in agricultural areas, farmland conversion has persisted. However, decentralisation processes have also changed ways of governing and favoured local alternative initiatives for farmland protection and farming development on the urban fringe. New modes of governance involve public local authorities, farmers' representative bodies (Montpellier) and civil society organisations (Rome). In both cities, they have a positive but limited impact on the effectiveness of farmland protection instruments. Their social acceptability varies, depending on who is really included in the participation process.

En la provincia de Buenos Aires desde fines del siglo XIX y hasta avanzado el siglo XX se han presentado -y, en algunos casos aplicado, diversos proyectos de colonización agrícola. Resulta especialmente importante la labor desarrollada... more

En la provincia de Buenos Aires desde fines del siglo XIX y hasta avanzado el siglo XX se han presentado -y, en algunos casos aplicado, diversos proyectos de colonización agrícola. Resulta
especialmente importante la labor desarrollada por el Instituto
Autárquico de Colonización, fundado en 1936 durante la gobernación
de Manuel Fresco y refundado luego durante la gestión de Domingo
Mercante en 1948, en la etapa del peronismo histórico. Situación que
se daba en el contexto una política económica que buscaba consolidar
la industrialización por sustitución de importaciones, entendiendo al
agro como sostén de la industria emergente. Los proyectos de
colonización incluían brindar una oferta educativa adecuada a la
población que se deseaba asentar. En ese contexto, el presente
trabajo se propone analizar la relación existente entre educación y
colonización a través de un estudio de caso: la colonia agrícola “17 de
Octubre”, creada en 1951 y ubicada en la zona rural del partido de
Florencio Varela (Buenos Aires) y en relación con la misma la
refundación de la escuela rural Nº 4 “Florencio Varela” fundada en
1892, pero reabierta en 1952, luego de un lapso de inactividad, con
motivo de la fundación de la colonia. Esta vinculación será abordada
en el marco de las políticas educativas de las gobernaciones de
Domingo Mercante (1946-1952) y Carlos Aloé (1952-1955) en cuanto a
educación rural, articulándola asimismo con el plan de Colonización de
la provincia. Con ese fin se caracterizará la política del Instituto
Autárquico, el aspecto institucional y normativo que condujeron a la
reinstalación de la oferta educativa, en el marco de una valorización de
la vida en el campo, cuando la escuela aparecía como instancia de
socialización en los valores relacionados con el agro y la política
peronista. La hipótesis central del presente estudio es que la unidad
educativa de nuestro análisis fue formada y/o reformada en función de
los objetivos planteados en la política de colonización llevada a cabo
en Buenos Aires en el contexto de posibles modificaciones
consecuentes con el cambio de modelo y prioridades políticas, pero
asimismo en vinculación con la acción concreta de los sujetos sociales
involucrados.

Esta investigación historiza la colonia 17 de octubre (La Capilla) desde su creación, en la gobernación peronista de Domingo Mercante, hasta su ocaso, poniendo en diálogo una experiencia híper local con las políticas públicas de la última... more

Esta investigación historiza la colonia 17 de octubre (La Capilla) desde su creación, en la gobernación peronista de Domingo Mercante, hasta su ocaso, poniendo en diálogo una experiencia híper local con las políticas públicas de la última fase colonizadora de nuestro país. ¿Qué singularidades dentro de la historia agraria local tuvo este emprendimiento, estratégicamente emplazado en una zona de enlace campo-ciudad y en plena expansión? ¿Qué aspectos políticos, económicos y productivos explican su funcionamiento exitoso durante 20 años? Datos duros, documentos y una gran riqueza de fuentes orales más de 30 testimonios- colocan en un lugar protagónico a los sujetos sociales de esta historia: las familias productoras de flores y verduras. Son sus memorias las que recrean la vida en la colonia y sus instituciones (la escuela, en la que confluyeron niños colonos de diversos orígenes; la cooperativa, espacio para comercialización, abastecimiento y toma de decisiones comunitarias; y el Ateneo), y enfocan el rol de los vínculos en una comunidad multiétnica. Vínculos que De Marco considera decisivos para entender el inicio, el desarrollo y el final de esta experiencia, en una Florencio Varela muy distinta de la que hoy conocemos.

High deforestation rates in tropical countries continue to reduce forest cover and thereby habitat quantity and quality. However, in some places the forest is recovering and expanding thus offsetting the biodiversity and ecosystem service... more

High deforestation rates in tropical countries continue to reduce forest cover and thereby habitat quantity and quality. However, in some places the forest is recovering and expanding thus offsetting the biodiversity and ecosystem service losses. In order to characterize the forest recovery, land use and land cover (LUC) changes were analyzed using aerial photographs, taken between 1952 and 2009, of a peri-urban watershed in the Andes region of Venezuela. The qualities of the changes were assessed using landscape indices and hemeroby indicators. In that period, the forest cover increased about 18 %, mainly due to abandoned pastures on steep slopes. At the same time, the urban area expanded about 4 % on valley bottoms, while pastures and crop fields were reduced about 20 %. The results also showed that forest patches were aggregating, whereas pastures were fragmenting. A reduction in direct human impacts on forests growing on abandoned pastures resulted in a slight recovery of the lower montane cloud forest structure and plant composition. But nonnative species were found in all LUC categories. During the study period, we documented not only forest recovery, but also urban area growth, intensified land use and invasions by non-native species all of which could partially counterbalance the positives of forest recovery.

The paper proposes a reading of the urban periphery from a labor-centered perspective, according to which its relational geography is indexed to the mobility of marginalized migrant workers and labor processes. Specifically, it attempts... more

The paper proposes a reading of the urban periphery from a labor-centered perspective, according to which its relational geography is indexed to the mobility of marginalized migrant workers and labor processes. Specifically, it attempts to rethink the urban periphery from the vantage point of peri-urban brick kilns and brick kiln workers. The paper draws parallels between the displacement of brick kilns to the peri-urban and the precarious migration of brick kiln workers by highlighting the tenuous tie between brick kiln workers and the urban space embedded in both. The paper first outlines the historical process of the outward displacement of brick kilns from Delhi to peri-urban villages in Haryana as a result of various pieces of legislation, judicial rulings and planning discourses. It then turns to contemporary forms of circulation between the kilns and the core city. Drawing from fieldwork data generated out of kiln workers’ life histories, it explores the various factors conditioning mobility and the reasons why workers circulate between the brick kilns and different urban occupations at different moments in their lives. The paper argues that exclusionary urbanization processes, in tandem with migrants’ life cycle choices, produce migrant workers as peripheral subjects while they contribute to the production of the urban periphery.

The Striped Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus semistriatus is widespread Neotropical carnivore species, with a disjunct distribution from Mexico to Brazil. Poorly known across its range, in Colombia the species is mostly known only from scarce... more

The Striped Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus semistriatus is widespread Neotropical carnivore species, with a disjunct distribution from Mexico to Brazil. Poorly known across its range, in Colombia the species is mostly known only from scarce and sporadic records, but with no information for most aspects of its ecology or conservation status. Here we present the first record of the species for a peri-urban area of Bogotá, capital city of Colombia. Our record is the first for a large city across its range, located outside previous range estimates and confirming its presence for the tutelar mountains of the city. Although this record does not expand significantly the range of the species, it represents an important addition to the fauna of Bogotá, highlighting the importance of improving conservation measures for this important forest patch, and thus ecological integrity, in one of the largest cities in the Neotropics.

Le code de la propriété intellectuelle du 1 er juillet 1992 interdit expressément la photocopie à usage collectif sans autorisation des ayants droit. Or, cette pratique en se généralisant provoquerait une baisse brutale des achats de... more

Le code de la propriété intellectuelle du 1 er juillet 1992 interdit expressément la photocopie à usage collectif sans autorisation des ayants droit. Or, cette pratique en se généralisant provoquerait une baisse brutale des achats de livres, au point que la possibilité même pour les auteurs de créer des oeuvres nouvelles et de les faire éditer correctement serait alors menacée.

To date the availability of spatial data is increasing together with techniques and methods adopted in geographical analysis. Despite this tendency, classifying in a sharp way every part of the city is more and more com-plicated. This is... more

To date the availability of spatial data is increasing together with techniques and methods adopted in geographical analysis. Despite this tendency, classifying in a sharp way every part of the city is more and more com-plicated. This is due to the growth of city complexity. Rough Set theory may be a useful method to employ in combining great amounts of data in order to build complex knowledge about territory. It represents a different mathemati-cal approach to uncertainty by capturing the indiscernibility. Two different phenomena can be indiscernible in some contexts and classified in the same way when combining available information about them. Several experiences exist in the use of Rough Set theory in data mining, knowledge analysis and approximate pattern classification, but the spatial component lacks in all these research streams.
This paper aims to the use of Rough Set methods in geographical analyses. This approach has been applied in a case of study, comparing the results achieved by means of both Map Algebra technique and Spatial Rough set. The study case area, Potenza Province, is particularly suitable for the application of this theory, because it includes 100 municipalities with a different number of inhabitants and morphologic features.

Fil: de Marco, Rosa Maria Celeste. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencias Sociales. Centro de Estudios de la Argentina Rural; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina

According to the data of CREA (Council for Agricultural Research and analysis of the Agrarian Economy) more than one third of the Italian territory is covered in woods, with an acceleration of 5.8% in the last decade. Of the 66,000... more

According to the data of CREA (Council for Agricultural Research and analysis of the Agrarian Economy) more than one third of the Italian territory is covered in woods, with an acceleration of 5.8% in the last decade. Of the 66,000 hectares that are generated on average per year, only a marginal quota is due to reforestation. Spontaneous reforestation has been seen mostly on plateaus and hills. In Abruzzo, INFC inspections (Inventario nazionale delle foreste e dei serbatoi forestali di carbonio-National Inventory of forests and forest carbon reserves) conducted in 2005 ascertained a forest surface (42%) superior to the national average. The source of this increase phenomenon of natural heritage is the progressive abandonment of traditional activities with a progressive reduction of inhabitants and cultivated fields. Along the hill slopes, processes of selective consolidation, intensification and crop specialization are taking place. The steepest hill sides are marked by uncultivated areas or are the sign of generational passages with little fields but extensive division of the farmland or the progressive coastal-valley extension of the city. ISTAT (National Institute of Statistics) points out that in twenty years (1990-2010) the cultivated soil in the region for productive purposes diminished by more than half (-57%). This contribution intends to agree with the thesis that the complex geography transforming the open spaces today shows variable geometries in the use of the soil and the resources used.

Until a few decades ago it was very easy to distinguish between city and country: in most cases the edge was defined by defensive barriers. In recent times, the relationships between urban and rural areas completely changed, placing the... more

Until a few decades ago it was very easy to distinguish between city and country: in most cases the edge was defined by defensive barriers. In recent times, the relationships between urban and rural areas completely changed, placing the country in a subordinate position. Consequently, many terms have been coined in order to describe the new phenomena taking place between city and country. The term adopted, “periurban area”, despite its large use, does not have a clear and unambiguous definition. Such various approaches are due to the complexity of the phenomenon to be analyzed and to the huge variety of territorial contexts in which it may reveal. The phenomenon is characterized by urban growth with soil consumption generating loss of competitiveness for agricultural activities. This paper defines more precise rules in order to describe the periurban phenomenon, using techniques of spatial statistic and point pattern analysis. This approach has been tested in the case of study of Potenza municipality. Interest in this area comes after the earthquake of 1980, when a large migration of inhabitants began towards the countryside around Potenza.

En los años 90 la mayoría de las ciudades medias españolas ya han desarrollado procesos de difusión espacial afectando tanto a los barrios periféricos más cercanos a la ciudad consolidada como a los municipios del entorno. La ciudad de... more

En los años 90 la mayoría de las ciudades medias españolas ya han desarrollado procesos de difusión espacial afectando tanto a los barrios periféricos más cercanos a la ciudad consolidada como a los municipios del entorno. La ciudad de Burgos no ha sido capaz de desarrollar este proceso hasta hace pocos años pero la configuración de un área de influencia del núcleo parece una tendencia definitivamente iniciada. La aproximación a los efectos territoriales que tiene esta tendencia constituye el objeto de este artículo.

En la presente ponencia nos proponemos estudiar los recuerdos y experiencias de un grupo de personas que vivieron su niñez en una colonia agrícola creada en 1952, bautizada como “17 de Octubre” -luego de 1955 conocida como “La Capilla”-,... more

En la presente ponencia nos proponemos estudiar los recuerdos y experiencias de un grupo de personas que vivieron su niñez en una colonia agrícola creada en 1952, bautizada como “17 de Octubre” -luego de 1955 conocida como “La Capilla”-, ubicada en la zona rural del partido de Florencio Varela, zona sur del Gran Buenos Aires. La colonia se caracterizó por radicarse en un territorio rural periurbano, con especialización en productos hortícolas y florícolas destinados al abasto de las ciudades cercanas.
Pensamos que el abordaje de los recuerdos permitirá analizar los modos de vida propios de un entorno rural atravesado por un cruce con lo urbano, cuya cercanía e interrelación no podía eludirse, como también la participación de los niños en las producciones familiares, sus roles y su relación con la organización del trabajo familiar. En relación con esto último, consideramos especialmente la refundación de una escuela primaria dentro de la colonia, como eje nodal en la vida de los niños y niñas.
Para el análisis se tomarán los casos de un grupo de personas cuyas edades al momento de la creación de la colonia oscilaban entre los 5 y 8 años, principalmente por medio de entrevistas, complementando con fuentes documentales y gráficas disponibles. Se tendrá en cuenta el contexto general, las políticas, ideas y prácticas relacionadas a la infancia durante las décadas de 1950-1960.

Air pollution is one of the forms of pollution with major, disastrous effects on the environment. From a technical point of view, any physical, biological, or chemical change in the atmosphere can be called air pollution and occurs when... more

Air pollution is one of the forms of pollution with major, disastrous effects on the environment. From a technical point of view, any physical, biological, or chemical change in the atmosphere can be called air pollution and occurs when any harmful gas, dust, or smoke enters the atmosphere and affects plants, animals, and humans. The authors conducted this case study in the suburbs of Timisoara, for five working days, from 05.24. 2021 to 05.28.2021. For the analyzed period, we also investigated the pollution caused by this traffic coming from the suburbs. In the end, the authors came up with a series of conclusions and recommendations.

High deforestation rates in tropical countries continue to reduce forest cover and thereby habitat quantity and quality. However, in some places the forest is recovering and expanding thus offsetting the biodiversity and ecosystem service... more

High deforestation rates in tropical countries continue to reduce forest cover and thereby habitat quantity and quality. However, in some places the forest is recovering and expanding thus offsetting the biodiversity and ecosystem service losses. In order to characterize the forest recovery, land use and land cover (LUC) changes were analyzed using aerial photographs, taken between 1952 and 2009, of a peri-urban watershed in the Andes region of Venezuela. The qualities of the changes were assessed using landscape indices and hemeroby indicators. In that period, the forest cover increased about 18 %, mainly due to abandoned pastures on steep slopes. At the same time, the urban area expanded about 4 % on valley bottoms, while pastures and crop fields were reduced about 20 %. The results also showed that forest patches were aggregating, whereas pastures were fragmenting. A reduction in direct human impacts on forests growing on abandoned pastures resulted in a slight recovery of the lower montane cloud forest structure and plant composition. But non-native species were found in all LUC categories. During the study period, we documented not only forest recovery, but also urban area growth, intensified land use and invasions by non-native species all of which could partially counterbalance the positives of forest recovery.

Resumo: Com vista a compreender a contribuição do conceito de periurbano para o planejamento urbano-regional, o trabalho mostra ampla revisão do estado da arte das discussões sobre o tema. Demonstra que a periurbanização tem sua raiz na... more

Resumo: Com vista a compreender a contribuição do conceito de periurbano para o planejamento urbano-regional, o trabalho mostra ampla revisão do estado da arte das discussões sobre o tema. Demonstra que a periurbanização tem sua raiz na década de 1940, no conceito de urban fringes, e que se disseminou pelo mundo, podendo ser identificado hoje em países ricos ou pobres. A aplicação do conceito de periurbanização para contextos diferentes na Ásia, África e Europa exige um esforço de sintetizar o que há de comum em seu uso. Independentemente do contexto específico em que o processo se dá, é possível observar a presença de três elementos fundamentais: o papel de intermediação dessas áreas em relação aos fluxos urbano-rurais; suas características transicionais; além de conflitos e oportunidades concernentes a essas áreas ensejados por suas características distintas.

The expression “periurban area”, despite its large use, does not have a clear and unambiguous definition. Different points of view generate more barriers in determining the exact edge of these zones. These various approaches are due to... more

The expression “periurban area”, despite its large use, does not have a clear and unambiguous definition. Different points of view generate more barriers in determining the exact edge of these zones. These various approaches are due to the complexity of the phenomenon to be analyzed and to the huge variety of territorial contexts in which it may reveal. The phenomenon is characterized by an urban growth with soil consumption generating loss of competitiveness for agricultural activities. Some experiences, in a spontaneous way, take into account only proximity to urban areas. It is obvious that contiguity condition alone is not sufficient to define such a complex phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to define more precise rules in order to describe the periurban phenomenon, using techniques of spatial statistic and point pattern analysis. This approach has been tested in the case of study of Potenza Municipality. This area, about 18,000 ha wide, is located about 900 m a.s.l. and is characterized by a relevant presence of forests, very steep slopes and a large number of areas with geological instability phenomena. Our interest in this area especially comes after the earthquake of 1980, when a huge migration of inhabitants began towards the countryside around the Town of Potenza. It was so intense that it deeply altered the urban morphology and modified the traditional physical functional relation-ships between the town and the rural territory.