Defining the Peri-Urban: A Multidimensional Characterization of Spatio-Temporal Land Use along an Urban–Rural Gradient in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Saskia Wolff, Makarius V. Mdemu and Tobia Lakes
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Saskia Wolff: Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
Makarius V. Mdemu: School of Spatial Planning and Social Sciences, Ardhi University Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam 35176, Tanzania
Tobia Lakes: Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Highly dynamic peri-urban areas, particularly in the Global South, face many challenges including a lack of infrastructure, ownership conflicts, land degradation, and sustainable food production. This study aims to assess spatial land use characteristics and processes in peri-urban areas using the case of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A mixed-method approach was applied, consisting of expert interviews and spatial data analysis, on a local scale along an urban–rural gradient. Expert interviews were conducted during a field study and analyzed regarding the characteristics and processes of peri-urban land development. A GIS-based analysis of land use patterns was applied using satellite imagery and Open Street Map data to identify a number of variables, such as building density and proximity to environmental features. Results show specific patterns of land use indicators, which can be decreasing (e.g., house density), increasing (e.g., tree coverage), static (e.g., house size), or randomly distributed (e.g., distance to river), along a peri-urban gradient. Key findings identify lack of service structures and access to public transport as major challenges for the population of peri-urban areas. The combination of qualitative expert interviews and metrics-based quantitative spatial pattern analysis contributes to improved understanding of the patterns and processes in peri-urban land use changes.

Keywords: urban–rural gradient; peri-urban; spatial analysis; GIS; metrics; indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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