Breadcrumbs
The Countryside In and Around Towns
This vision is the product of a national consultation, which benefited from the input of the Forestry Commission. The document also cites the support of other agencies and NGOs.
Our assertion is that the countryside in and around towns (CIAT), to which different professional groups also apply labels such as the urban fringe, the rural urban fringe, peri-urban, etc, is a frequently overlooked resource with significant potential to underpin sustainable development. The document sets out 10 functions that the CIAT could fulfil. These functions can be combined within 'multifunctional' landscapes - where a range of benefits are derived from the same area of land - an important means of achieving sustainable development locally and regionally.
Many of the tools, techniques, strategies and plans needed to realise this vision already exist. The document sets out some of these, together with four steps to implementing the vision. The details of implementation are a matter for regional and local consultation and decision making.
There is a link from this page to a set of research reports which back the vision by providing a contemporary insight into the state and potential of the CIAT, a traditionally under-researched area.
