Changes at the fringe: Soil quality and environmental vulnerability during intense urban expansion

The present study illustrates a framework to evaluate soil consumption in Mediterranean regions experiencing rapid urban growth. Results indicate that high-quality soils more suitable for agriculture and forestry were mostly consumed by urbanization especially in flat areas. The consumption of these soils was not concentrated in the first observation period (1948–1975) corresponding to the development of compact settlements, but increased significantly in the last period (1975–2010) mainly characterized by discontinuous and low-density urban expansion. The study underlines the urgent need to inform development policies and urban planning with an in-depth quantification of the soil resource base lost by urbanization.