Managing Environmental Change at the Rural-Urban Fringe

Status: Ongoing
Type of Project: Research Report
Principal Investigator: Dr Alister Scott, Birmingham City University (Email)

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Objectives

The spaces where countryside meets town are often amongst society’s most valued places yet there seems to be little understanding and integrated management of these spaces within the UK. What is this “rural-urban fringe”? How is it changing and why? And how can environmental change be managed more effectively where uncertainty, diversity, neglect, conflict and transition commonly feature?

 In this project the expertise and experience of academics and practitioners will be combined.  Initially the team will explore social and natural science concepts from spatial planning and ecosystem services to identify and evaluate management issues and needs.  From these, they will identify strategic principles and apply them within two rural-urban fringe case study areas, using desk studies, policy-based assessments and visioning exercises incorporating local stakeholders’ perspectives.  

Results from the project will promote an integrated and spatial model for rural-urban fringe management and signpost further research addressing environmental change.