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Desperately Seeking Sustainability: Urban Shrinkage, Land Consumption and Regional Planning in a Mediterranean Metropolitan Area

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Salvati

    (Italian Council of Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via della Navicella 2, I-00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Agostino Ferrara

    (School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, I-85100 Potenza, Italy)

  • Ilaria Tombolini

    (Italian Council of Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via della Navicella 2, I-00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Roberta Gemmiti

    (Department of Methods and Models for Territory, Economy and Finance, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, I-00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Andrea Colantoni

    (Department of Agriculture, Forest, Nature and Energy (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc Viterbo, Italy)

  • Luigi Perini

    (Italian Council of Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via del Caravita 7a, I-00186 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Land degradation has expanded in the Mediterranean region as a result of a variety of factors, including economic and population growth, land-use changes and climate variations. The level of land vulnerability to degradation and its growth over time are distributed heterogeneously over space, concentrating on landscapes exposed to high human pressure. The present study investigates the level of land vulnerability to degradation in a shrinking urban area (Rome, Italy) at four points in time (1960, 1990, 2000 and 2010) and it identifies relevant factors negatively impacting the quality of land and the level of landscape fragmentation. A multi-domain assessment of land vulnerability incorporating indicators of climate quality, soil quality, vegetation quality and land management quality was carried out based on the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) framework. The highest rate of growth in the level of land vulnerability was observed in low-density suburban areas. The peri-urban mosaic formed by coastal woodlands and traditional cropland preserved high-quality land with a stable degree of vulnerability over time. Evidence suggests that the agro-forest mosaic surrounding Mediterranean cities act as a “buffer zone” mitigating on-site and off-site land degradation. The conservation of relict natural landscapes is a crucial target for multi-scale policies combating land degradation in suburban dry regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Salvati & Agostino Ferrara & Ilaria Tombolini & Roberta Gemmiti & Andrea Colantoni & Luigi Perini, 2015. "Desperately Seeking Sustainability: Urban Shrinkage, Land Consumption and Regional Planning in a Mediterranean Metropolitan Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:9:p:11980-11997:d:54953
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ibáñez, Javier & Valderrama, Jaime Martínez & Puigdefábregas, Juan, 2008. "Assessing desertification risk using system stability condition analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 213(2), pages 180-190.
    2. Luca Salvati & Marco Zitti & Margherita Carlucci, 2014. "Territorial Systems, Regional Disparities and Sustainability: Economic Structure and Soil Degradation in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(5), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Marco Zitti & Carlotta Ferrara & Luigi Perini & Margherita Carlucci & Luca Salvati, 2015. "Long-Term Urban Growth and Land Use Efficiency in Southern Europe: Implications for Sustainable Land Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-27, March.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Zambon, Ilaria & Benedetti, Anna & Ferrara, Carlotta & Salvati, Luca, 2018. "Soil Matters? A Multivariate Analysis of Socioeconomic Constraints to Urban Expansion in Mediterranean Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 173-183.
    3. Rosanna Salvia & Pere Serra & Ilaria Zambon & Massimo Cecchini & Luca Salvati, 2018. "In-Between Sprawl and Neo-Rurality: Sparse Settlements and the Evolution of Socio-Demographic Local Context in a Mediterranean Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
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    5. Yagi, Hironori & Garrod, Guy, 2018. "The future of agriculture in the shrinking suburbs: The impact of real estate income and housing costs," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 812-822.

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