The forest in the light of pressures of metropolitan development - The example of the Landes of Gascogne forest between the urban area of Bordeaux and Arcachon

Abstract

The borders between urbanized areas and rural areas tend to fade, often because of interdependencies that develop there. This is what we found on the urbanization gap between the Bordeaux metropolitan area and Arcachon agglomeration. As part of a regional research project, we examined these relationships to understand and describe the attractiveness of rural areas. Two analysis levels relating to the dynamics of development of fringe territories were employed: strategies of urbanization through an interpretation of urban development, and the economic tools of public action on forest areas. Thus differentiated territorial strategies emerge depending on endogenous and exogenous pressures at the municipal scale level. In this paper, we propose feedbacks on the method of analysis to provide perspectives and a critical reading in understanding the mechanisms of territorial development.