Recent developments in the Greek system of urban centres

In this paper we examine the recent developments in the Greek system of urban centres, in order to assess the validity of the view that trends of deconcentration have been in operation during the last decade. Estimation of the rank-size distribution functions for all the postwar census years shows that concentration trends were prevalent until the early 1980s. During the last decade, however, stabilisation or even deconcentration trends have appeared with the faster development of smaller cities. This finding should not be taken as an indication of a trend reversal towards more balanced spatial development, as further analysis shows that the faster growing smaller cities are largely satellite cities of the metropolitan centres of Athens and Thessaloniki. Based on the results of regression analysis, we conclude with a discussion on the factors contributing to differential urban growth performance and the policy implications of these findings for metropolitan regions and balanced growth in Greece

Assessing the Sustainability of the Built Environment in Mountainous Rural Villages in Southwest China

Mountainous rural areas such as those in southwest China are developing rapidly. This requires scientific understanding and a framework for assessing the sustainability of the built environment that is suitable to such areas. At present, no such framework exists. This lack of assessment options has contributed to the unsustainable development of these areas, which has caused a series of environmental, social, and economic problems. This article analyzes existing assessment frameworks, reviews the theory on sustainable rural development as it applies to rural southwest China, and proposes a new assessment framework that is more suitable to this region and others like it. This framework is based on a sustainable development model for rural areas that emphasizes endogenous development; addresses the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability; and takes the natural and social conditions of mountainous rural areas into account. Our study tested its applicability to rural southwest China and its sensitivity to local conditions and found them to be better than those of existing assessment frameworks

Participatory modelling of social and ecological dynamics in mountain landscapes subjected to spontaneous ash reforestation

International audienceThe future of the agriculture in mountain areas constitutes an important stake for sustainable development in relation to landscape functions and their role in local economies. This future depends highly on its ability to develop innovative and multifunctional agricultural systems and to preserve its attractiveness for future generations. Encroachment and reforestation of landscapes, which comes from land abandonment and extensification of land use, raise important topical issues. In Pyrenean valleys, where the land is colonised by the ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior), local land managers and policy-makers want to understand better the relationships between the ecological and social processes in order to assist in the design of policies supporting constructive change. Here we present the “companion modelling” approach in which we are all together constructing a simulation model for carrying out a prospective study of land use and landscape changes in the region. According to the principles of this participatory approach, we started developing a spatialised multi-agent model, whose main conceptual aspects are presented here below. The model simulates the evolution of land cover of the agricultural landscape in relation to both the natural and anthropogenic dynamics. Ecological field studies having stressed the role of mowing and grazing practices at the parcel level on colonisation of the local landscape by the ash tree, we focus on the account of prospective change in farmers’ land management practices (viewed as a set of decision rules) and their impact. This ongoing study underlines the interest of spatially explicit modelling of the inter-relationships between social and ecological dynamics at the agricultural landscape scale based on an interdisciplinary approach for dealing with rural development topical issues. Both the advantages gained and the difficulties raised are discussed.L’avenir de l’agriculture en zone de montagne spécialisée sur l’élevage constitue un enjeu de développement important, fortement conditionné par sa capacité à développer des systèmes innovants pour assurer les différents services nécessaires au développement durable de ces territoires. En particulier, les conséquences du boisement spontané des paysages par le frêne (Fraxinus excelsior) suite à l'abandon ou la réduction de leur exploitation par les agriculteurs interpellent les acteurs du développement des territoires de montagne, qui souhaitent mieux comprendre les relations entre processus écologiques et sociaux pour définir les politiques les mieux adaptées aux enjeux du maintien de la qualité visuelle et culturelle des paysages, de la préservation de la biodiversité et des ressources naturelles. Dans ce contexte, nous présentons la démarche de« modélisation d'accompagnement » qui a été mise en oeuvre dans une commune des Pyrénées françaises pour co-construire entre chercheurs et acteurs du développement un modèle d'analyse prospective des changements de l’utilisation des terres et des paysages. Cette méthode participative a conduit à entreprendre le développement d'un modèle multi agent spatialisé dont nous présentons les aspects conceptuels les plus importants. Ce modèle permet de simuler l'évolution de l'occupation du sol de l’ensemble des exploitations agricoles sous l'effet de dynamiques naturelles et anthropiques conjointes prenant en compte les stratégies et pratiques de gestion des éleveurs, du niveau de l’exploitation à celui de la parcelle et leur effet sur l'installation potentielle du frêne (à travers les opérations de fauche et de pâturage des parcelles). Cette étude dont le développement se poursuit illustre l'intérêt d’une modélisation intégrée et spatialement explicite des relations entre dynamiques sociales et dynamiques écologiques à l’échelle d'un paysage agricole dans un cadre interdisciplinaire pour l’appui au développement. L'originalité de la méthode mise en oeuvre et les difficultés soulevées sont discutées