Work

Urban Systems, Urbanization Dynamics and Land Use in Italy: Evidence from a Spatial Analysis

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Sustainability of agriculture is challenged by increasing sprawl in urban agglomerations. Under increasing agglomeration economies in large and even medium sized cities, more and more soil is being subtracted to agriculture, depriving agricultural activities of the main production factor. The extent to which the expanding urbanization threatens agricultural development depends on the urban spatial structure, however. In this work it is empirically investigated how the relationship between soil use and soil consumption is shaped by the compactness of a city. For the population of LAU1 (province) main cities in an Italian region (Lombardy), compactness is measured as the density gradient and estimated using Central Business District models. It is found that more compact cities exhibit relatively lower-than-expected soil consumption in the period 1999-2007. Results suggest that agglomeration economies are not enemies of agricultural activities per se. Nonetheless, urbanization needs to be accompanied by urban fringe containment.

Source: Current Urban Studies

DOI: 10.4236/cus.2014.23027

Authors: Gianni Guastella, Stefano Pareglio

Institution: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Language: English

Topic: Land Use and Ecosystem Services

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Regione Lombardia