Resistance through transformation: a transitional approach for sustainable peri-urban environments

Urbanization is a global process, especially in developing countries. This process has changed urban landscape significantly particularly in the peri-urban zones of cities. These peri-urban areas are in transition from productive landscapes into urbanised fields. This research investigates the impacts of the urbanization process on agricultural production and local inhabitants’ livelihood in the peri-urban zones of two cities: the city of Hanoi, capital of Vietnam and the city of Melbourne, Australia. The research asks: Can the existing farming community and industry be transformed and integrated with the new urban developments in the peri-urban zone to resist their total displacement. The research aims at drawing out a “Transitional Approach” with strategies for architecture and urban planning. It closely examines contemporary agriculture, food production and consumption processes in relation to population growth and urban sprawl. It also locates itself in the current discourse of architecture and urban agriculture. The transitional approach is defined as an approach taking into account the process of changes over time spatially and programmatically, occurring in the peri-urban environment. By speculating possible future changes, it chooses to act or intervene before developments take place in order to maintain productive landscapes and their infrastructures. Furthermore, the proposed architectural and infrastructural interventions can create new models of public spaces for the peri-urban communities. These interventions, combined as a network, have a regional impact and create a more sustainable living environment for local inhabitant as well as explore alternative ways of thinking about the development of cities.