Rural–urban fringe

The rural–urban fringe, also known as the outskirts, rurban, peri-urban or the urban hinterland, can be described as the 'landscape interface between town and country', or also as the transition zone where urban and rural uses mix and often clash. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a landscape type in its own right, one forged from an interaction of urban and rural land uses. The rural–urban fringe, also known as the outskirts, rurban, peri-urban or the urban hinterland, can be described as the 'landscape interface between town and country', or also as the transition zone where urban and rural uses mix and often clash. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a landscape type in its own right, one forged from an interaction of urban and rural land uses. Its definition shifts depending on the global location, but typically in Europe, where urban areas are intensively managed to prevent urban sprawl and protect agricultural land, the urban fringe will be characterised by certain land uses which have either purposely moved away from the urban area, or require much larger tracts of land. As examples: