Speaker
Description
Land take, the conversion of agricultural, natural, and semi-natural areas into urban or artificial spaces, represents one of the most pressing challenges faced by urban planners today. This phenomenon is driven by multiple factors, such as urbanization, infrastructure development, industrialization, and speculative real estate activities, all of which contribute to the increasing rate of land consumption (Meng & Si, 2022; Nuissl & Siedentop, 2020). The consequences of land take are profound and multifaceted. Environmentally, it results in habitat loss, deforestation, soil erosion, and the sealing of land under impermeable surfaces, which disrupts ecosystems and weakens climate resilience (Hu et al., 2021). Socially, land take displaces communities, disrupts traditional livelihoods, and increases social inequalities, often disproportionately affecting marginalized populations (Shackleton, 2020). Economically, it reduces agricultural productivity, imposes strain on infrastructure, and promotes poorly planned urban sprawl, leading to increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, these changes frequently provoke legal disputes and public opposition, further complicating urban development efforts. In the European Union alone, over 1000 km² of land is consumed annually, with half of this area rendered impermeable (Aksoy et al., 2017), highlighting the scale and urgency of the issue.
This research aims to address the critical need for a deeper understanding of land take by studying its extent, drivers, and consequences in four European cities: Milan, Oslo, Ghent, and Gdansk. These cities were selected for their diverse geographical locations, climates, and governance systems, which provide a rich basis for our comparative analysis. Utilizing data from the Urban Atlas, particularly land cover/land use maps from 2012 and 2018; we quantified the extent of land take over time in each city. This quantitative analysis was complemented by an in-depth examination of urban policies and contextual factors that influence land take in each location, offering insights into the specific drivers unique to each city. The diversity of the selected case studies allows for the identification of both common patterns and localized differences in land take dynamics.
This study provides a deeper understanding of land take as a phenomenon influenced by diverse economic, social, and environmental factors. By comparing trends in the selected cities, it identifies key drivers such as governance approaches, development priorities, and policy decisions. These findings offer valuable guidance for urban planners and policymakers to develop strategies that limit land take, encourage sustainable land use, and address its negative impacts. The research also highlights the need to incorporate land take considerations into broader urban planning and climate resilience efforts. By examining the complexities of land take in different contexts, this study addresses critical gaps in knowledge and offers practical recommendations for managing urban growth while safeguarding natural and semi-natural areas. It contributes to the global dialogue on sustainable development, advocating for solutions that balance local needs with adaptable, long-term approaches to one of urban planning’s most pressing challenges.
References
- Aksoy, E., Gregor, M., Schröder, C., Löhnertz, M., & Louwagie, G. (2017). Assessing and analysing the impact of land take pressures on arable land. Solid Earth, 8(3), 683-695.
- Hu, X., Næss, J. S., Iordan, C. M., Huang, B., Zhao, W., & Cherubini, F. (2021). Recent global land cover dynamics and implications for soil erosion and carbon losses from deforestation. Anthropocene, 34, 100291.
- Meng, L., & Si, W. (2022). The driving mechanism of urban land expansion from 2005 to 2018: the case of Yangzhou, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 15821.
- Nuissl, H., & Siedentop, S. (2020). Urbanisation and Land Use Change. Human-Environment Interactions.
- Shackleton, R. T. (2020). Loss of land and livelihoods from mining operations: A case in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Land use policy, 99, 104825.
| Keywords | Land take; urbanization; Land cover change; Comparative analysis |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
