Sustainability and Peri-Urban Agriculture II

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a second volume of this Special Issue focusing on the sustainability of peri-urban agriculture (PUA). In contemporary societies, PUA has become a very specific feature of multifunctional agriculture, which makes an important contribution not only to the sustainable development of peri-urban areas, but also to the reinforcement of urban–rural relationships. Far from being a transitional condition of semi-abandoned land destined to be incorporated in the process of urban growth, professional agriculture in the outskirts of metropolitan areas has progressively achieved a status of unique and sustainable activity thanks to the development of bilateral relationships with urban dwellers and institutions. Parallel to the ongoing process of development and enhancement of a complex and articulated agri-food system, PUA has specialized, in many cases, in supplying specific products and services to cities and citizens, addressing a growing demand for a mix of public and private goods and services which can be jointly supplied with the primary agricultural products, making the primary activity more sustainable in all of its economic, environmental, and social dimensions.

The growing demand for such goods and services, such as social agriculture, educational farms, and recreational areas, supplied together with good-quality, healthy food directly provided to citizens, has become a winning strategy for peri-urban farms not only to survive and reverse the downward trend toward decline and abandonment, but even to diversify their sources of income and finally grow. At the same time, the land involved is usually kept from further urbanization; while this can raise the level of social unrest and develop specific political interests, it secures the sustainable use of areas which are quite fragile from environmental, economic, and social points of view.

With this Special Issue, we intend: (1) to contribute to enhancing the state of the art of this multidisciplinary, multifaceted topic by following a multidisciplinary approach with contributions from economists, sociologists, landscapers, regional scientists, and geographers; (2) to investigate the main drivers of the development of PUA by focusing on economic, social, and environmental dynamics brought about by specific case studies and local experiences; and (3) to highlight and analyse the main policies that can enhance the role of peri-urban agriculture as a connecting tissue among city dwellers and rural actors, reconnecting the urban and rural space.

Key topics in this Special Issue include:

• New forms of agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas;
• Sustainable land use and access to land;
• Diversification and multifunctionality in PUA;
• Role of PUA in the urban–rural nexus;
• Land use policy and planning in peri-urban landscapes;
• Role of PUA in sustainable local food systems;
• Land use policy and planning in peri-urban landscapes;
• Conflicts and synergies between cities and agricultural areas;
• Peri-urban areas and social transformations;
• New entrepreneurship in PUA.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Roberto Henke
Dr. Francesca Giare
Guest Editors

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• peri-urban agriculture
• land sustainability
• multifunctionality
• farm diversification
• new income sources in agriculture
• urban food systems
• urban–rural linkages
• land use policy
• social farming
• rural-urban services

• Sustainability and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Land (9 articles)

Title: Advancing resilient and inclusive metropolitan cities through the integration of agricultural landscapes: A case study of Rome
Authors: Tarra S.1, Brunori E. 2, Biasi R. 2
Affiliation: 1 Department of Architecture and Design, PhD School, Sapienza University, Italy 2 Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest systems – Tuscia University, Italy
Abstract: The phenomenon of urban sprawl has resulted in the redefinition of relationships between urban and rural areas, giving rise to hybrid and dynamic landscapes, which include agricultural elements. In light of the global imperative to develop more sustainable food systems, territorial planning for agricultural land and the management of agricultural landscapes in peri-urban spaces represent key strategies to meet the local demand for food. When adopting agri-environmentally friendly production models, these strategies also contribute to providing healthy food and enhancing the quality of life in cities. The interconnection between urban areas, open green spaces, and cropland can yield unique social, economic, and environmental benefits that form the basis of the multifunctionality of peri-urban agriculture. The primary objective of this study was to develop a methodology capable of classifying urban-peri-urban spaces based on their suitability for agriculture and different urban agriculture typologies. This classification aimed to establish criteria for implementing an agricultural matrix within and around the city center. The investigation focused on the Metropolitan City of Rome in Central Italy. Selected peri-urban areas underwent an analysis using a set of environmental, economic, and landscape indicators, which were then processed through multivariate and hierarchical statistical analyses. The results enabled the zoning of the studied territory based on agricultural suitability and forms. In specific peri-urban areas, the predominant indicators facilitated the computation of related Ecosystem Services, namely carbon sequestration and storage, local climate and air quality regulation and cultural heritage. The proposed methodology aims to optimize ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban spaces through the functionality of the agricultural landscape.