Effects of protected areas on the expansion of impervious surfaces in their vicinity: Evidence from Dutch Natura 2000

Protected areas can fully deliver their nature conservation function if human-induced disturbances are minimized not just inside their boundaries, but also in their immediate surroundings. This is particularly true for urbanization, which is highly disruptive and generally permanent. This paper aims to investigate how urban growth rates vary as a function of distance from Dutch Natura 2000 areas. More specifically, it looks at whether these areas might exert an effect on urbanization rates over a given distance, and which physical and management factors are associated with urbanization rates within this distance. The analysis was conducted by measuring and comparing urbanization rates in the 2006–2015 period in three series of ten 100-m, 250-m and 500-m ring buffers around 144 Natura 2000 areas, and regressing urbanization rates around such areas against several of their characteristics. Results show that urbanization rates are generally constant or slightly increasing as one moves away from these areas, but that on average they are markedly lower in a 200-m strip around the areas than they are elsewhere. Urban growth rates in this strip are particularly associated with the size, imperviousness rate, surrounding population density and administrative fragmentation of the areas. Further research is needed to investigate urbanization patterns around single areas, interactions between adjacent areas and the effect of new protected areas on urbanization in their surroundings.