Abstract
This paper aims to characterise different land use patterns and identify the goods and services related to quality of life (QoL) and to assess the influence of urban planning policies on land cover changes in the Bucharest metropolitan area (BMA). Topographical map of the year 1970 and CORINE Land Cover (CLC) maps of 1990 and 2012 are used to detect land cover changes. A survey in two selected settlements (one urban and one rural) provides primary data on socio-economic transformation and planning policies related to suburbanisation processes of the analysed area. The investigations were completed by field observations, questionnaires and interviews with local stakeholders. Secondary data on population were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. The results suggest that land use pattern has undergone profound changes over the last 50 years, particularly regarding the conversion of agricultural lands and forests and into areas with residential, industrial and commercial uses. Local development policies combined with the positive effects of suburbanisation phenomena have improved the QoL of population living in the area. The urban expansion of Bucharest increased the pressure on farmers to sell the agricultural land, but at the same time contributed to the improvement of QoL for the landowners. The analysis of how land use in urban areas influences QoL can be a starting point in urban development policies. They can assist policymakers and practitioners in improving the balance between urbanisation and living environment.
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Simion, G., Rusu, M. (2019). Land Use Patterns: Key Element of Quality of Life in the Metropolitan Area of Bucharest. In: Sinha, B. (eds) Multidimensional Approach to Quality of Life Issues. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6958-2_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6958-2_22
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