Sites for Sore Eyes

The internet is host to a wealth of informative material concerning rural-urban linkages and the peri-urban interface. 

The Development Planning Unit (UCL), www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/pui, offers material on the peri-urban interface, including ‘Environmental Planning and Management Guidelines’. The International Institute for Environment and Development, www.iied.org/pdf/urb_povBP7.pdf, and the Environmental Strategies for Cities site, http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/urbanenvironment/issues/, offer well-informed explanations of the peri-urban interface. The Natural Resources Systems Programme site, www.nrsp.co.uk/Nrspweb/nrspsystem-pui.htm, with links to Bangor and Birmingham Universities at www.bangor.ac.uk/%7Eafs082/periurban.htm and  www.bham.ac.uk/IDD/activities have research on peri-urban areas and natural resources. 

Peri-urban agriculture is an expanding area.  The FAO,  www.fao.org/unfao/bodies/COAG/COAG15/X0076e.htm, provides a concise overview of international responses with links to peri-urban forestry and watershed management.  See also the CGIAR ‘Strategic Initiative on peri-urban agriculture’ at www.cipotato.org/SIUPA and www.cityfarmer.org. RUAF has a useful bibliography at www.ruaf.org/bibliography_fr.html.  For peri-urban livestock see www.idrc.ca/cfp/rep24_e.html.

A global network on peri-urban health related issues can be found at www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/wedc/garnet/tncperi.html. Gender related health issues are explored at www.unesco.org/most/easteur2.htm.  For issues related to health and peri-urban agriculture, see www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=658.

For peri-urban water provision, see www.un.org/esa/sustdev/success/tegu_mod.htm Some links to sanitation and wastewater are at http://www.cgiar.org/iwmi/iwmi-tata/wastewater.htm and www.wsp.org.  For energy issues visit www.worldbank.org/infrastructure and www.esd.co.uk. 

Livelihoods and rural-urban interactions are addressed in working and briefing papers by the IIED at www.iied.org/rural_urban/downloads.html#ruwps.  Livelihoods Connect, www.livelihoods.org, has links to DFID’s sustainable livelihoods programme.

Peri-urban land rights and related issues can be found at www.gruppo-cerfe.org/pdf/urban/UAn6.pdf, whilst www.uni-bayreuth.de/sfbs/sfb-fk560/e-index-projects.html addresses peri-urban land laws in Africa. For research on land and livelihoods see www.idrc.ca/cfp/rep23_e.html.

Patrick McAlpine
Development Planning Unit
University College London

p.mcalpine@ucl.ac.uk

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