Periurbanisation, the situation in Europe: a bibliographical note and survey of studies in the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and the Nordic Countries

In this report the extent of "peri-urbanisation" in Europe is analysed. The aim is to give an insight into the ways in which "peri-urban" processes are described in different European countries. The work has been undertaken for DATAR (Délégation à l'Aménagement du Territoire et à l'Action Régionale, France) as part of their ongoing study of "peri-urbanisation" in France. Urban development is one of the major concerns for the future of rural areas and ecological zones. This work contributes to the "peri-urban" debate by taking a European perspective that complements local or national case studies.
The focus is on the spatial aspects of peri-urbanisation and on its recent demographic trends. The report is divided into three parts : The first part consists of a general discussion about the diversity of concepts used to analyse peri-urban processes, and provides an overview of urbanisation typologies and global trends in the EU. In the second the spatial extent and the description of peri- urban processes is discussed for different countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany and Italy. Some bibliographical references are also given for the Nordic countries. The third part summarises the main spatial and demographic trends and identifies some of the similarities and differences between the countries considered. A bibliography is provided at the end of the report and includes references on some additional countries.
It is shown how diverse can be the tools used to assess peri-urbanisation. Nevertheless, there is a clear diffusion of population towards commuting and rural areas of Europe. A growing share of national territories and population are concerned with this process. Changes in the urban-rural interface are driven by similar behaviour throughout Europe, but slight differences can be observed. Local geographic and demographic specificities, regional economic dynamism, historic settlements as well as spatial policies differentiate the evolution and morphology of European peri-urban areas today.