Periurban spaces are zones in transition at the urban fringes or close to expanding agglomerations. They are often considered as geographical patchwork spaces characterized by diverse functions (food and water security, provision of livelihoods, ecosystem services, etc.), a mosaic of land uses with rural and urban features, a multiplicity of stakeholders, sometimes with diverging interests, and overlapping governance structures.

These features create diverse opportunities, but also expose periurban spaces to deep transformations and make them challenging to govern.

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