Agriculture and the urban fringe
Creating an effective and productive relationship between cities and their surrounding rural areas is an important issue for policymakers and land-use planners. With a population growth rate of 5 % expected over the next decade in the EU, urban sprawl is an important topic for city dwellers and suburbanites. Improving environmental policies and legislation by focusing on the urban environment has been agreed upon by the European Member States, and both regional and local authorities. The 'Land use processes and urban sprawl' (LUPUS) project investigated what would be the best way to maximise agricultural land and natural areas, and to protect landscape values while limiting energy and transport costs. It studied land-use processes and urban sprawl, especially the ways in which social and economic mechanisms lead to land usage. A theoretical model was constructed and contributed to the international literature on urban sprawl, giving empirical insight into such European circumstances. The results show that when surrounding farm incomes are high and the farmland valuable, fewer people move out of the city. This decreases urban sprawl and makes a city more compact. Putting policies in place that support less sprawl (or support agriculture) helps reduce urban fragmentation. In urban areas, a low crime rate and an interesting cultural life are important for appeal, as are successful agricultural endeavours in rural areas. More effective policies in both rural and urban areas will lead to higher qualities of life. All of these factors tie together to improve the overall health of the environment.