Artificialized land and land take

Foreword

‘Land Take’, an ambiguous scientific concept

The statistical measurement of this concept remains uncertain …

… but is increasingly used in the public debate

Is the sealing of surfaces synonymous with land take?

Urbanization, a major driver of land take, continues beyond city borders

Chapter 1 - Methods of measuring the extent of land take in France

Objectives and methods for measuring land use change

Measurements and trends in land take in France

Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 2 - The impacts of land take on the characteristics and properties of soils

Impacts of artificialization on the physical, physicochemical and chemical characteristics of soils

Impacts of land take on soil organisms and biodiversity

Strategies to limit the impacts of artificialization on soil properties

Limitations of available studies and identification of research needs

Chapter 3 - The direct and indirect impacts of land take on the characteristics and functioning of artificialized environments

Impacts of land take on landscapes, habitats and plant and animal species

Impact of land take on urban hydrology and stormwater management

Impacts of artificialization on the physical urban environment

Chapter 4 - Agricultural land, agricultural activities, and land take

Direct impacts of land take on agricultural production

Income from agricultural land, a driver of land use changes

Local factors influencing the likelihood of agricultural land being converted to artificialized land

Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 5 - Household location strategies and housing construction

Housing preferences, urban sprawl and peri-urbanisation

Land and property policies to limit urban and peri-urban sprawl

Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 6 - Determinants of land take by enterprises and transport infrastructure

Business and industry location strategies

Transport infrastructure in France

Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 7 - Avoiding or reducing land take, or possibly compensating for its effects

The legal and fiscal drivers of land take

Mechanisms to avoid or control land take

Mechanisms to reduce the effects of land take

Mechanisms to compensate for the effects of land take

Conclusions

Bibliography

List of Authors