Horticultural peri-urban landscapes and city: some examples of Castilla & Leon

Abstract

This article focus on the knowledge of the singularity and diversity of the horticultural landscapes that characterizes the environment of some cities of Castilla y León, highlighting its most outstanding features. The peri-urban orchards are, in this way, the central objective of this text, taking examples at different scales (regional agglomeration, medium-sized cities and small cities), which necessarily implies a differentiated treatment. The method used for this purpose combines several perspectives and treatments: the spatiotemporal evolution of these units; its landscape dimension, of which are inseparable – in certain cases – some patrimonial features and identities; the functionality and relationship they maintain with the urban space they surround, and how their protection, management and maintenance are contemplated in the different planning instruments; as well as pointing out the presence, along with this horticultural peri-urban, of other more recent initiatives such as the «urban gardens», «urban orchards» or other similar ones. The results show not only the diversity of coexistence between these last-mentioned modalities and the uneven survival of the most traditional horticultural belts, but also the different types of these as well as their unequal treatment in urban planning in the cases studied.