What is it about?
Growing cities without any limit or boundary is no longer possible. This study shows until where cities can realistically expand and what defines such a boundary. The model relies on 4 dimensions of how cities and the rural hinterland relate: economic demand, environmental protection, urban carrying capacity, and urban development resistance. The proposed model serves as a comprehensive spatial control tool, integrating urban carrying capacity and expansion resistance to meet development needs while safeguarding the environment. Unlike traditional approaches that rely solely on population growth predictions, this model separately forecasts residential, non-residential, and public land demands.
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Why is it important?
We created a model which can identify the sustainable boundaries of a city's expansion. The resulting boundary demarcation model is designed to support a more equitable and sustainable governance of urban and rural spaces.
Perspectives
Developing this article took some time because some of the parameters of the urban boundary model were initially contested, and the choice of the case study provided a reason to argue against generalization. Nevertheless, I believe the model clarifies that it is possible to measure and locate sustainable boundaries and to identify that cities cannot grow endlessly without negative consequences.
Professor Walter Timo de Vries
Technical University of Munich
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Method for Delineating Urban Development Boundaries Based on the Urban–Rural Integration Perspective, Land, April 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/land14040859.
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