Governance in peri-urban areas through the Community Initiative LEADER. The case of the region of Las Vegas in Madrid

Abstract

The processes of expansion experienced by the cities during the last few decades have created a new urban-regional reality, in which they are inserted peri-urban areas. Initially considered a third-ring suburb of indistinct limits toward that was diluted the suburban sprawl, peri-urban areas are referred to now as a new space category, as a tiers espace that serves as an interface between urban and rural, and that is characterized by its functional complexity. The aim of this article is to analyze new governance structures for peri-urban areas development, through the study of the Local Action Groups, experimental governance entities linked to the Community Initiative LEADER. In particular, we analyze the role played by the Local Action Group ARACOVE in peri-urban region of Las Vegas, in Madrid, through the realization of 32 interviews, as well as quantitative techniques common in studies of urban development.