What is a peri-urban area?

"The non-urban areas adjacent to or surrounding metropolitan settlements" . Those areas that are vitally important to life in the city as we rely on these fringes for agricultural production and water resources, as well as the natural values of the landscape and environment; ecosystem services that are vital to all life and human wellbeing.

 

Written by Michael Buxton and Andrew Butt and published by CSIRO Publishing, is a timely publication for use in Senior Geography Unit 4 Topic 1. It discusses the challenges faced by the urban fringe of our growing cities encompassing spatial and temporal pattern. Part I looks at the concept of the 'peri-urban' landscape and the history of urban expansion in Australian, European and Canadian cities. There is a very significant focus on Australian towns and cities.

 

Chapter 5 is focused on regionalism in Australia. This chapter provides an excellent overview of the factors that have resulted in "concentrated capital city growth" in Australia as well as the changing land use resulting rural-residential development arising from the need for  land close to the city, and the impacts on agricultural land in these areas.

 

The concept of liveability is covered in Chapter 6, including sections on sea level rise, climate change, and bushfire risk. This chapter is also largely focused on Australian places with an introduction to understanding of how liveability is measured and understood.

 

Part II provides five chapters wholly focused on peri-urban issue in the Australian context. Chapter 8, 'Population change in peri-urban Australia' ,  examines Australia's population geography utilising statistics from the 2016 Census and case studies for South-east Queensland(SEQ), Melbourne; Sydney-Newcastle and  Adelaide. Including a series of population change maps and data the topics include age and migration, commuting and work, housing and households.

 

The remainder of Section II examines vulnerability and threats to Agriculture; the importance of biodiversity and natural resources in the peri-urban area and in the final chapter the importance of spatial planning in the peri-urban regions.  Case studies in spatial planning include SEQ and Melbourne's peri-urban area.

 

The information is written in a very accessible style, suitable for senior students, or as a teacher resource. It is a succinct and relevant text for senior geography in Queensland.

 

Available in paperback form from CSIRO Publishing is worth every cent of the $ 59.99 retail price.

 

Released in April 2020 it is available for purchase through CSIRO or as an ebook through various eRetailers