Newrur research reports
You will find below a brief presentation of NEWRUR work-packages, according to the NEWRUR technical
annex that describes the tasks and objectives of this program. NEWRUR research reports are the
program deliverables, that is to say scientific reports produced throughout the research project. The
presently produced deliverables are summarized, ranked by work- and sub-workpackages (WPs and sWPs). Complete deliverables can be asked to the team who was the corresponding sub-work-package
scientific co-ordinator.
List of deliverables presently produced
Work-package
WP1 - Selection
of NUTS2
regions faced
with
periurbanisation
Work-package
WP2 - Rural
periurban areas
typology
Sub-workpackage
Team in charge of
scientific coordination
Deliverable
University of
Granada
D 1.1 - Bibliographical summary of the
definitions for cities and urban areas
Cemagref Grenoble
D 1.2 - Method used to detect, define
limits and rate the urban areas in the
five partner countries
s-WP 1.2 - NUTS2
periurban regions
and cartography
Cemagref –
Grenoble
D 1.3 - Method used to detect urban
regions and characterise the regions
faced with periurbanisation
Sub-workpackage
Team in charge of
scientific coordination
s-WP 1.1- Urban
areas identification
and standardisation
s-WP 2.1 Determination of
periurban areas
categories
s-WP 2.2 - Typology
of periurban areas
Deliverable
Cemagref –
Grenoble
D 2.1 - Bibliographical summary on
detection criteria for periurban rural
areas used in European countries
Cemagref –
Grenoble
D 2.2 - Method to detect and define
limits for the classes of periurban rural
areas
Cemagref –
Grenoble
Cemagref Grenoble
D 2.3 - Bibliographical summary on
analysis of characterisations concerning
territorial diversity carried out in various
European countries
D 2.4 - NEWRUR typology of periurban
rural areas
Workpackage 1 Selection of NUTS2 regions faced with periurbanisation deliverables
WP 1 objectives
Detect, among urban regions, one or two regions in each country where periurbanisation processes
will be most likely to be observed : these regions will be termed « faced with periurbanisation ».
WP 1 methodology and study materials
The concept of what constitutes a town is many facetted, as demonstrated by the array of current
definitions. For this research project, urban regions will be selected in 4 phases. First, we must
distinguish between cities themselves and nearby areas, which may be periurban or rural. So, WP 1
will identify urban zones (termed “cities”) using simple criteria based not only on statistical data (level
and density of population) - as many typologies do -, but also on land use data (percentage of territory
occupied by man-made installations). Secondly, after this identification, each urban zone will be
classify on a criteria of population level. Thirdly, WP1 will then identify a number of urban regions
(NUTS 2 level) on the basis of the percentage of population living in the largest cities. Fourthly,
characterisation of these urban regions will be completed using other socio-economic indicators, in
order to detect, among urban regions, one or two regions in each country where periurbanisation
processes will be most likely to be observed : these regions will be termed faced with periurbanisation.
This detection method will be carried out simultaneously in the five countries participating in the
project. Its applicability in the other European countries will be evaluated. The results will concern the
method (definition of detection criteria for urban zones, urban regions and regions faced with
periurbanisation). They will provide a uniform view of the major urban zones in the five NEWRUR
countries and also indicate the suitability of the method for application in all European countries.
Characterisation of urban regions and regions faced with periurbanisation in the five countries is a
further result that will be used later in the project (WP2).
WP1 comprises two sub-workpackages:

Sub-Workpackage 1.1 : Urban zones identification and standardisation
s-WP 1.1 objectives
Identify urban zones (termed cities) and determining their size in each of the partner countries
(France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Spain).
s-WP 1.1 methodology and study materials
The boundaries set of each urban zone will depend on the territorial division into basic administrative
units and on the data available on this level. Using the definitions established by the national statistical
agencies in the five countries participating in NEWRUR, the work will consist in formulating common
detection criteria for urban zones. These criteria will be based on population levels and/or density and
the percentage of built-up land in the overall urban zone. These criteria will then be grouped in
statistical data bases for use by each partner country in characterising urban zones, on the basis of
the basic administrative units. Use of the selected criteria will avoid the questions raised concerning
the comparability of data.
s-WP 1.1. will result in a rating of urban zones, depending on their size in terms of population and,
where applicable, the density of the population in their area. The lists of significant cities will be
compared with the lists produced according to the official definitions used in certain countries. The
possibility of expanding the work method to all European countries will be evaluated by determining
whether the necessary data is available in each country.
s-WP 1.1 deliverables
D 1.1 - Bibliographical summary of the definitions for cities and urban areas. It deals with definitions of
cities and urban zones, as well as urban regions or zones, which are used for the dissemination of
statistical information.
D 1.2 - Method used to detect, define limits and rate the urban areas in the five partner countries. It
includes maps, as well as an evaluation of the suitability of the method for application in all European
countries.

Sub-Workpackage 1.2 : NUTS 2 periurban regions and cartography
s-WP 1.2 objectives
Characterising urban regions (NUTS 2) and selecting a group of regions faced with periurbanisation
(periurban regions).
s-WP 1.2 methodology and study materials.
These urban regions, in the five countries, will be defined in terms of the percentage of their
population living in large cities. Statistical data bases will be compiled for the NUTS 2 regions in view
of characterising them and determining the relative importance of the major cities in each region, with
a number of periurbanisation indicators (percentage of the agricultural active population, percentage of
agricultural land, migration data, etc.).The list of regions will be compared with the lists produced by
the statistical or official definitions used in each country.
In the list of regions, those faced with periurbanisation are the regions which still have a significant
percentage of natural or rural areas. Characterisation of the urban regions using a set of general
indicators supplied by EUROSTAT will serve to detect the regions faced with periurbanisation
(migration data, population growth, activity rates, working persons by sector, % of agricultural active
population and agricultural land, etc). Finally, among the detected regions, one or two will be selected
in each country to constitute the group of regions for the study.
s-WP 1.2 deliverables
D 1.3 - Method used to detect urban regions and characterise the regions faced with periurbanisation. It
includes maps for the five NEWRUR partner countries.
Workpackage number 2 : Rural periurban areas typology deliverables
WP 2 objectives
Periurbanisation as progression of cities has been the subject of 2 types of approaches, on the one
hand urban analysis that neglected the dynamics of rural development and on the other, a rural
analysis highlighting exclusively the dynamics of rural development. NEWRUR proposes to examine
periurbanisation perceived as a rural phenomena, dealing simply with urban overflow into rural areas
judged completely dependent, but where the endogenous development processes interact with urban
influences.
Once the cities have been defined (WP1), NEWRUR will identify rural areas characterised as
periurban, because their close links with urban areas are producing profound change that
distinguishes them from other rural areas. So, in a set of NUTS 2 regions faced with periurbanisation,
WP 2 will detect periurban areas and characterise their diversity by establishing a typology.
WP 2 methodology and study materials
The proposed detection method will implement criteria concerning the proximity and links with the
cities. These criteria will be applied to the NUTS 2 regions selected in each of the NEWRUR partner
countries and will provide an initial indication on the diversity of periurban rural areas. Other socioeconomic indicators, informing on the variety of these areas, will serve to establish a typology of
periurban rural areas which will be of use in selecting the specific areas studied later in the NEWRUR
project (WP3).
WP 2 will produce multiple results, first in terms of the general method (definition of statistical criteria
for detection of periurban areas, principles governing formulation of the periurban areas typology).
Other results include applications for use in all five NEWRUR countries (maps drawn up for a set of
regions, identifying the periurban areas and illustrating their diversity) and elements required for
subsequent steps in the project (characterisation of periurban areas and recommendations on
selection of the areas to be studied).
WP 2 workpackage comprises two sub-workpackages:

Sub-Workpackage 2.1 : Determination of periurban areas categories
s-WP 2.1 objectives
Detect and define limits for classes of periurban rural areas, based on the commuting data concerning
working people.
s-WP 2.1 methodology and study materials
The method again uses the territorial division of the partner countries into basic administrative units
and the data available on this level. The goal is to detect, in the vicinity of the major cities defined in
WP1, rural areas characterised as periurban due to their close links with the city. On the basis of work
carried out in certain European countries, the links will be evaluated using criteria based on
commuting data, notably the place of residence and the large city where people work. These
commutes can be analysed in detail using the available statistical data.
In those partner countries where commuting data is not available, commutes will be estimated on the
basis of indicators concerning the number of jobs available (the idea being that a city with many jobs
draws commuters) and the distance to the city. The selected criteria will make it possible to define
various classes of periurban rural areas, depending on the strength of their links with one or more
major cities. This method will be applied to the selected NUTS 2 regions faced with periurbanisation
and defined in WP1.
s-WP 2.1 deliverables
D 2.1 - Bibliographical summary on detection criteria for periurban rural areas used in European
countries. This summary includes criteria used in the five NEWRUR partner countries or in other
European countries, the methods employed for statistics and the processing carried out, and
presentations of national regulations and legislation.
D 2.2 - Method to detect and define limits for the classes of periurban rural areas . It includes
application of the method to a set of NUTS 2 regions in the five NEWRUR countries, with the
corresponding data bases and maps.

Sub-Workpackage 2.2 : Typology of periurban areas
s-WP 2.2 objectives.
Establish the typology of periurban rural areas proposed by NEWRUR.
s-WP 2.2 methodology and study materials
The diversity of periurban areas is due not only to the strength of their links with major cities, but also
to other factors determining territorial diversity in a more general manner. The territorial diversity of the
NUTS 2 regions selected for NEWRUR will be characterised on the basis of NUTS 3 regions or even
smaller areas, using a set of common socio-economic indicators. Their diversity is, in general manner,
linked to demography, economic structures (activities, development patterns), natural resources such
as land, and also to political and administrative organisation. It will be illustrated by sets of common
socio-economic indicators, concerning population, housing, employment, added value by sector,
agriculture, tourism, as size of communes and other administrative units.
The typology of periurban rural areas proposed by NEWRUR will be produced by contrasting the
diversity of the NUTS 2 regions with the various classes of periurban rural areas defined in task 2.1.
This typology will be applied to the selected set of NUTS 2 regions.
s-WP 2.2 deliverables
D 2.3 - Bibliographical summary on analysis of characterisations concerning territorial diversity carried
out in various European countries. It describes examples of socio-economic characterisations
concerning territorial diversity carried out in various European countries, as well as the selected
indicators and the analysis scales.
D 2.4 - NEWRUR typology of periurban rural areas. It analyses the diversity of periurban rural areas in
a group of NUTS 2 regions in the five NEWRUR countries, and includes the corresponding data bases
and maps.