Peri-urbanisation and multifunctional adaptation of agriculture around Copenhagen

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Peri-urbanisation, as a process of the physical expansion of settlement areas but also socio-economic transformation, has been recognised as a major spatial development beyond the urban fringes. Agriculture, the main land use actor in the hinterlands of many urban areas is increasingly affected by urban encroachment, responds with adaptation strategies and farming activities to cope with the peri-urban framework conditions. Adaptation pathways encompass specialisation into horticulture as well as enhanced environmental and lifestyle orientation of farming – typical elements of multifunctional agriculture. However, due to the heterogeneity of the periurbanisation processes also differences in farming transition are expected. Based on a differentiation into displaced-urbanisation, ex-urbanisation, anti-urbanisation and hidden-urbanisation as main types of peri-urbanisation, variances of farming responses are elaborated for municipal entities in the Copenhagen region in Denmark using statistical census data. Under consideration of location determinants, regression models have been applied to analyse the inter-relationship between different peri-urbanisation processes and multifunctional farming activities. Findings confirm that the differentiation of peri-urban processes is meaningful for the explanation of spatial distribution of farm adaptation strategies, particularly in the case of leisure and environmental oriented farm practices.
Original languageEnglish
JournalGeografisk Tidsskrift/Danish Journal of Geography
Volume111
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)59-72
Number of pages14
ISSN0016-7223
Publication statusPublished - 2011

ID: 33679379