The Countryside Agency commissioned Bartlett School of Planning to produce an up to date assessment of the urban fringe.

Urban Fringe - Policy, Regulatory and Literature Research

The Countryside Agency commissioned a team from Bartlett School of Planning, University College London.


The team were required to research and examine:

  • the national policy and regulatory context (including EU Directives) which directly and indirectly relates to, and impacts on, the urban fringe around our English towns and cities, and;
  • literature that should inform our urban fringe work. 

The project had two main phases. The first phase, reported in The Preliminary Project Report (Scoping), involved a broad "base lining" exercise. Of particular concern is the way in which policy and regulation both directly impact on the urban fringe, and also influence - indirectly - the development and management of fringe areas by inference to how such areas should or should not be used. The mix of direct and indirect policy influences in relation to the urban fringe is a key focus within the Scoping Report and throughout the entire study. The analysis of policy, regulation and literature was undertaken systematically using a "key document template". Each policy, regulation and document has been summarised according to its type and source. 

The second phase of this project built on the base lining exercise by taking forward a number of specific themes - waste, minerals and energy, recreation, Green Belt, transport, nature conservation, history and archaeology, commercial development, landscape and housing - providing more detailed reviews of their nature, characteristics and regulation at the urban fringe. 

The Final Report: summarises findings from the previous reports; reflects on the nature of the urban fringe and considers whether it is possible to quantify the extent and characteristics of fringe areas; demonstrates the beneficial linkages and interactions that can exist in multi-functional landscapes and that should be further promoted within fringes; sets out ten key findings and makes ten broad recommendations to assist us in formulating our Vision for England's urban fringes.

These reports can be downloaded as pdfs by clicking on the right hand links.