Le foncier agricole dans les plans d’urbanisme : le rôle des configurations d’acteurs dans la production locale du droit

Abstract

This article focuses on the relation between law and geography through the issue of the public regulation of farmland conversion on the urban fringe. It shows the close interaction between the implementation of land law, the local interplay of actors and urban sprawl between 1960 and 2000. The method combines spatial, legal and social analysis. It is based on interviews and on the examination of the archives of some suburban municipalities in Provence and Tuscany. The results show the role of social actors in the local production of law and how they have collectively used comprehensive planning to manage, limit or legitimize the urban development of farmland in very different ways depending on the place and the time.

An analytical framework to consider social justice issues in farmland preservation on the urban fringe. Insights from three French cases

“…Landowners and developers speculate about the future conversion of farmland to urban uses. Lobbies and other local arrangements between public and private actors reinforce urban sprawl (Perrin, 2013b). Exemptions that sometimes run counter to national laws have been granted to farmers, and non-farmers have obtained building permits for houses by submitting "fake agricultural projects" (Nougarèdes, 2011).…”

Cultural Heritage Preservation and Resilience in Urban Agriculture Through the Lens of Social Justice: A Case Study in Milan

“…Therefore, even if rural heritage preservation is recognised as a common value, it could become a heavy restriction, and may even be perceived as an injustice by some landowners or farmers, especially when they are unable to bear those costs. For example, in Fiesole-near Florence-the rules imposed for the preservation of olive groves, stonewalls and the agricultural purpose of large rural buildings have sometimes brought one to the abandonment of olive groves and the development of uncultivated land (Perrin 2013). That is the reason why heritage preservation policies generally need public support, which can be accessed under certain conditions.…”

From ignorance to commitment: how periurban municipalities deal with agriculture?

“…Local authorities found themselves subject to pressure from landowners and developers speculating on the conversion of farmland (Castel, ; Renard, ). Local zoning plans were subject to variance, re‐zoning, special exceptions, and conditional uses (Martin et al ., ; Peltier, ; Perrin, ). Aware of this trend, the State passed a law in 1999 intended to encourage municipalities to federate into public intermunicipal bodies to jointly manage services such as transport or urban planning.…”