Challenges in landscape planning: the rural-urban interface

Peri-urban, and rur-urban categories emerged in the last decades. Functional linkages and conflicts between urban and rural areas can be found in peri-urban areas. Recent policies by UN, OECD, EU aim at creating 'Rural-Urban Partnerships’ as an integrated approach to economic development, by strengthening national and regional development planning. The paper discuss how landscape planning can offer spatial solutions in metropolitan areas, with particular reference to the concept of Green Infrastructure, and illustrate a range of implementation tools. A case study in Japan, Nishi-Tokyo, provide further insights on actual challenges for conserving urban farmlands in metropolitan areas and shrinking cities.