Urban-Rural Interdependencies within the Earth System

Urbanisation is a major driver of intensive changes in the Earth system. Cities always interrelate directly with their surrounding areas and have far-reaching effects beyond their catchment areas Therefore, understanding the interactions between urban and surrounding rural areas is a key prerequisite for future strategies for the development of these highly heterogeneous regions. A trend reversal in urbanization and associated land changes is not in sight, either at the regional or global level. This concerns the intensity of urbanization, accompanied by urban sprawl, densification, and increasing population growth in conurbations, as well as political and planning control. The development of agglomerations with the associated land requirements and material flows and the discussion of possible solutions are therefore core topics of the research field. Buildings and infrastructures, open spaces, ecosystems and landscapes with their diverse requirements, material flows for supply and disposal as well as the diverse human interactions are the focus here. In addition, there are acute and creeping risks, in particular due to the consequences of climate change, the increase in social fragmentation and health hazards.

We want to identify and evaluate the effects of resource and traffic flows, materials and the discharge of substances on the earth system - including the effects of the use of open space for settlements and traffic. The interconnection of urban and rural areas is analysed and systematized in order to identify and exploit positive potential for shaping sustainable development. The objective is the sustainable development of networked urban-rural areas. In doing so, we explicitly go beyond the regional context to include indirect effects such as cascading effects or effects in the sense of telecoupling. Furthermore, this integrates the constant interaction of a changing earth with the society and its requirements as well consequences for the society and involves concepts of good governance. We want to analyse and systematize the networking of urban and rural areas in order to identify and exploit positive potential for shaping sustainable developments.