This book underlines the importance of establishing, in the planning and urban policies oriented towards sustainability, a relationship between the urban expansion – observed in its different forms and dynamics – and the ability of soil and landscape to support agricultural productivity and interface processes. This is the development of a specific investigation theme linked to the problem of soil degradation and peri-urban lands allows a valuable re-interpretation in the field of landscape studies. This book queries the value of the “rural” around a city, in a multidisciplinary perspective encompassing land transformations, good practices, and urban planning trends.

Land transformations are at the center of analysis and discussions on the management, planning, and design of the landscape everywhere. This topic is particularly appropriate for European landscapes where land changes are often associated with the degradation of rural and natural areas. This issue represents a crucial point within the framework of the ecological transition towards a truly sustainable society and economy, as established by the European Union.

This book is the result of detailed bibliographic research, of in-depth historical research on the most recent challenges and topics of greatest interest in the field of urban studies. Original landscape transformations analyses were performed, introducing also some practical cases, considered relevant contributions in spatial planning.