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Archaeology and Contemporary Dynamics for More Sustainable, Resilient Cities in the Peri-Urban Interface

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Balanced Urban Development: Options and Strategies for Liveable Cities

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 72))

Abstract

Understanding of urban fringes or peri-urban interfaces (PUIs) as zones characterised by rapid transitional change and sprawling urbanisation has increased markedly over recent years. Archaeological evidence also illustrates the pivotal role that peri-urban zones once played in the survivability of ancient urban centres. Over the last three decades, urban growth and associated transitional changes have accelerated in most regions, producing major challenges to the development of resilient cities capable of absorbing climatic, economic and environmental shocks. Globalised processes of industrialisation and market interdependence have remoulded urban fringes, bringing increased environmental impacts, including the loss of natural resources and environmental buffers now recognised as essential for urban resilience. Furthermore, ongoing global environmental change (GEC) and increasing socio-economic inequality are generating new priorities as peri-urban zones consolidate, erode and shift outwards. Given the inadequacies of existing frameworks, we advocate a hybrid approach to PUI planning and design that draws on integrated, agropolitan-type perspectives embedded within a resilient, locally appropriate regional-urban focus within broader socio-spatial and geo-economic systems. Diverse historical and contemporary examples inform the discussion of the PUI planning and design and the identification of policy recommendations for a hybrid planning approach based on adaptive capacity and resilience.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Known as the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience since 2014.

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Acknowledgments

Preliminary versions of this chapter were presented at the Thirtieth Anniversary Conference of the International Development Planning Review, University of Liverpool, April 2009, and the session on Peri-urban natures; regenerations and reinterpretations of peri-urban places and concepts, Annual Conference of the Association of American Geographers, Seattle, 15 April 2011. In this form, it was presented at the Peri-urban 2014 conference at the University of Western Sydney, July 2014. Participation of Andrew Adam-Bradford in this work was supported through the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research grant RES-064-27-0025. Jenny Kynaston drew Fig. 5.1. Helpful feedback from participants in the above conference sessions, Katherine Gough, referees, the editors are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mistra Urban Futures, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden

    David Simon

  2. Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK

    David Simon

  3. Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Ryton Gardens, Wolston Lane, CV8 3LG, Coventry, Warwickshire, UK

    Andrew Adam-Bradford

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  1. David Simon
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Correspondence to David Simon or Andrew Adam-Bradford .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Basant Maheshwari

  2. Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

    Bhadranie Thoradeniya

  3. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Vijay P. Singh

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Simon, D., Adam-Bradford, A. (2016). Archaeology and Contemporary Dynamics for More Sustainable, Resilient Cities in the Peri-Urban Interface. In: Maheshwari, B., Thoradeniya, B., Singh, V.P. (eds) Balanced Urban Development: Options and Strategies for Liveable Cities. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 72. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28112-4_5

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