Analyzing barriers in peri-urban land development for informed policymaking

Peri-urban land development is crucial to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of equitable and sustainable urban areas. Fair land, infrastructure, and resource management improves land management services and reduces social and economic inequities. However, the peri-urban land management system has contributed to unequal rapid urbanisation in neighbouring regions. This study examines the complex relationships between peri-urban land development barriers in India. The goal is to understand how these barriers induce unequal urbanization transcending the city, resulting in uncontrolled growth, urban sprawl, and inadequate services in peri-urban areas. The main goal is to improve decision-making and promote fair peri-urban growth in Indian cities using a multi-criteria decision-making tool. This application gives experts a new perspective on peri-urban issues. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted from 122 planners and academicians from north Indian cities using snowball sampling techniques. The study collects expert perspectives to create a causal map, using DEMATEL ISM method, classifying these barriers as "determinants or causes," "dependent barriers," "independent barriers," and "effects," presenting a new perspective on peri-urban development complexity.  that depicts these roadblocks and highlights the most significant drivers impeding peri-urban land development. Findings revealed four interdependent challenges as the leading ‘causes’ on the basis of DEMATEL Weight; Imprecise spatial policies with 0.10119, undemarcated land boundaries with 0.10082, weak institutions with 0.10003, and absence of planning regulations with 0.09945 weight. Within these barriers, addressing the governance capability and spatial policies would have a beneficial cascading effect on catering to other challenges. Findings have valuable insights for policymakers, aiding in the formulation and prioritization of effective policies and resource allocation. This study extensive analysis of causal linkages among Indian city peri-urban land development challenges. Beyond identifying barriers, it explains their causes, interdependencies, and hierarchical links. This study's holistic approach to peri-urban development issues and inventive barrier categorization and prioritisation make it distinctive.