To inform and influence its work on the countryside in and around towns, we have commissioned a number of research reports:

The Countryside In and Around Towns - Research


To inform and influence its work on the countryside in and around towns, we have commissioned a number of research reports:

A Character Assessment of Oxford in its Landscape Setting
In 2002, the Countryside Agency, in partnership with Oxford City Council, commissioned Land Use Consultants to produce a Character Assessment of Oxford City and its setting in recognition of the importance of the city's landscape and townscape and the changes that it faces.  more
Overcoming Barriers to Better Planning and Management in the Urban Fringe
This is the final report of a study carried out by the consultants BK, for The Countryside Agency. more
The State and Potential of Agriculture in the Urban Fringe - Final Report
Whilst looking at the urban fringe generally this study, by Catherine Bickmore Associates, focuses on the current state and potential of agriculture in the inner urban fringe - an area with its own special characteristics. more
Urban Fringe Action Plans: Their Role, Scope, and Mechanisms for Implementation - Final Report
The report, by Entec UK Ltd, looks at the role and scope which action plans for the urban fringe might have, and how these might be implemented. more
Urban Fringe - Policy, Regulatory and Literature Research
The Countryside Agency commissioned Bartlett School of Planning to produce an up to date assessment of the urban fringe. more
Initiatives Operating in the Urban Fringe
The Countryside Agency commissioned this piece of research from Ove Arup and Partners with the University of Gloucestershire to explore issues raised in the report, "Sustainable Development in the Countryside Around Towns", by the Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology (CURE) at Manchester University.  more
Vision for a Sustainable, Multi-Functional Rural-Urban Fringe
This piece of work was commissioned from Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, to provide us with a synthesis of Agency funded research - both centrally and regionally sponsored - and to highlight key messages, to contribute to the evidence base informing its Vision and actions.  more
The nature and potential of agriculture around major urban areas in England
This document reports the findings of a detailed study carried out in 2006 into how agriculture operates in and contributes to the character of the urban fringes of major urban areas. more
The delivery of Countryside Management in England
This report was commissioned by the Countryside Agency's Countryside Around Towns Team, which saw countryside management as key to both maintaining the environmental and recreational fabric of the fringe and to unlocking the full sustainable potential of this landscape. more