Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South

In recent years, the intense urbanisation processes in Latin American cities have generated fragmented landscapes in the transition zones between urban and rural areas. There is growing interest among urban planners in the delimitation and management of the urban fringe due to the challenges these a...

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Main Authors: Angelica Pino, Javier Martínez, Michael Alfaro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1276
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author Angelica Pino
Javier Martínez
Michael Alfaro
author_facet Angelica Pino
Javier Martínez
Michael Alfaro
author_sort Angelica Pino
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, the intense urbanisation processes in Latin American cities have generated fragmented landscapes in the transition zones between urban and rural areas. There is growing interest among urban planners in the delimitation and management of the urban fringe due to the challenges these areas face, including the accelerated conversion of agricultural land, the loss of biodiversity, ecosystem fragmentation, and increasing socioeconomic inequalities resulting from limited regulation in Latin American cities. This study aims to identify criteria for the delimitation of the urban fringe in Latin American cities, oriented toward policy development and the creation of new management tools. A three-stage mixed-method approach was used, i.e., (1) a structured literature review following the PRISMA protocol, identifying 58 criteria from Global South studies, grouped into seven thematic categories; (2) a qualitative analysis using the SMART methodology to identify feasible criteria; and (3) a survey of 19 Latin American experts to prioritise criteria based on data availability and spatial comparability in the region’s cities. The results reveal a growing concern regarding the conceptual development of the urban fringe in Latin America. Methodological gaps persist in the delimitation of these areas. The final catalogue of criteria shows a trend toward measurable and comparable criteria and highlights the need to approach the urban fringe from a multidimensional perspective, which could facilitate its integration into comparative studies at the regional scale.
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spelling doaj-art-e98d124864ad4cbfa76931e3de91ae232025-08-20T03:16:33ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-06-01146127610.3390/land14061276Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global SouthAngelica Pino0Javier Martínez1Michael Alfaro2Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa 04000, PeruFaculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management, University of Twente, 7522 NH Enschede, The NetherlandsFaculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa 04000, PeruIn recent years, the intense urbanisation processes in Latin American cities have generated fragmented landscapes in the transition zones between urban and rural areas. There is growing interest among urban planners in the delimitation and management of the urban fringe due to the challenges these areas face, including the accelerated conversion of agricultural land, the loss of biodiversity, ecosystem fragmentation, and increasing socioeconomic inequalities resulting from limited regulation in Latin American cities. This study aims to identify criteria for the delimitation of the urban fringe in Latin American cities, oriented toward policy development and the creation of new management tools. A three-stage mixed-method approach was used, i.e., (1) a structured literature review following the PRISMA protocol, identifying 58 criteria from Global South studies, grouped into seven thematic categories; (2) a qualitative analysis using the SMART methodology to identify feasible criteria; and (3) a survey of 19 Latin American experts to prioritise criteria based on data availability and spatial comparability in the region’s cities. The results reveal a growing concern regarding the conceptual development of the urban fringe in Latin America. Methodological gaps persist in the delimitation of these areas. The final catalogue of criteria shows a trend toward measurable and comparable criteria and highlights the need to approach the urban fringe from a multidimensional perspective, which could facilitate its integration into comparative studies at the regional scale.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1276urban fringeperi-urbandelimitation criteriaurban developmentland use change
spellingShingle Angelica Pino
Javier Martínez
Michael Alfaro
Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
Land
urban fringe
peri-urban
delimitation criteria
urban development
land use change
title Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
title_full Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
title_fullStr Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
title_full_unstemmed Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
title_short Criteria for the Delimitation of the Urban Fringe of Latin American Cities: A Review from the Global South
title_sort criteria for the delimitation of the urban fringe of latin american cities a review from the global south
topic urban fringe
peri-urban
delimitation criteria
urban development
land use change
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1276
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AT javiermartinez criteriaforthedelimitationoftheurbanfringeoflatinamericancitiesareviewfromtheglobalsouth
AT michaelalfaro criteriaforthedelimitationoftheurbanfringeoflatinamericancitiesareviewfromtheglobalsouth