Guest editor

Valentina Cattivelli, Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno  – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Peri-urbanisation, increasing land use, migration, biodiversity loss and food insecurity pose new and critical challenges to urban-rural systems.

More and more people live, work, and depend on rural and urban ecosystems that transcend administrative boundaries. Increasing relocation of businesses and infrastructure investments in roads and communication systems are putting pressure on land conversion and natural resource consumption. Agriculture is also practised in urban and peri-urban areas. However, it does not ensure full food security for all citizens and leads to pollution and depletion of natural resources. Small food chains are more important, but their functioning requires reducing the distance between urban markets and rural agricultural areas.

All these flows are just a few examples of the interdependent flows of people, goods, financial and environmental services (defined by FAO as urban-rural linkages) that exist between certain urban, rural and peri-urban locations. These flows are interdependent, reflecting socio-spatial arrangements and creating spaces with distinct but interwoven and socially constructed identities. However, they also create productive, social and land tenure conflicts. Resolving them requires supported and coordinated action by local actors. Rather, territorial governance is under pressure, reflecting recent changes in spatial planning systems, levels of governance and multi-actor dynamics. The prerogatives of public interventions and private initiatives in peri-urban areas are not defined due to the unclear distribution of competences between local institutions.

The management of these flows and the resolution of potential conflicts appear as a prerequisite for sustainable territorial development. This importance is underlined by several international organisations. Among others, UN calls for new inclusive approaches and increased synergies between urban and rural communities and spaces - an essential part of the vision of the 2030 Agenda.

This special issue aims to renew the international debate on urban-rural linkages. In particular, it explores recent methods of delineating flows between urban and rural areas and the potential conflicts associated with them. It also promotes the dissemination of new evidence on coordinated policies and strategies to strengthen urban-rural linkages, implement integrated territorial development plans and resolve territorial conflicts. Empirical studies and case study analyses from around the world are welcome. Contributions that analyse territorial policies at the local level that relate to food policy, climate, biodiversity protection and ecosystem clustering (the list is not exhaustive) will be accepted. Studies that address the vision of sustainable urbanisation and peri-urbanisation are also welcome.

#urban #rural #periurban #urbanrurallinkages #territorialconflicts #sustainableplanning #territorialgovernance

Invitation for submission

We welcome original, unpublished papers that address the above topics, or any other related research questions not mentioned, as they relate to urban-rural linkages and relative conflicts. We look forward to papers from all parts of the world.

Please note that the deadline for submitting papers to https://rsaiconnect.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17577802 for the RSPP Special Issue is December 31, 2023, with foreseen publication of accepted papers in 2024. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you need more information.