Sustainable Development in Peri-Urban Regions: A Triangulation Analysis

Abstract

The recent tendency towards overpopulated cities has created an increased demand for the expansion of borders towards rural areas. This has modified the city–countryside relationship, giving rise to the concept of peri-urbanity. Based on these assumptions, this research paper aims to highlight the role and importance of sustainable development for the sustained progress of peri-urban regions, particularly by looking at international standards proposed by the United Nations. In other words, by encompassing the topics of sustainable and inclusive economic growth, decent work for all, and sustainable tourism, Goal 8 of the 17 Sustainable Goals proposed by United Nations represents a framework for the analysis of a peri-urban region located in Romania which is subject to massive development changes. This is realized by conducting extended qualitative research via the triangulation method, intended to compare and contrast three relevant perspectives: those of locals, those of professionals directly involved in the development of the area, and those presented in publicly available reports and statistics. The obtained results indicate factors such as air quality, water quality, space efficiency, and waste collection as being topics directly related to sustainability, while job availability and touristic development perspectives received lower interest. We stress that, despite the growth of urban areas and the migration of people from urban to peri-urban areas, more attention needs to be directed towards the protection of the environment. This is aimed at maintaining the authenticity of the region, specifically in terms of agricultural lands that can support the surrounding major cities. Our study will be relevant both to scholars and to actors in the domains of sustainability, sustainable economic growth, and tourism.

1. Introduction

In order to accommodate population growth in metropolitan areas, there are growing concerns in maintaining the security of quality of living. Cities all around the world are continuing to experience significant urban expansion [1]. As a consequence, many individuals have started to migrate to peri-urban regions, a transient and hard to define region [2].

Peri-urban areas can be described as ‘cities without cities’ or as a territorial continuity between the urban and rural [3]. Peri-urban regions are often diverse areas with a lower population density than urban areas and an attractive mix of residential, agricultural, and industrial uses [4,5]. The high level of urbanization infiltrating such areas is however endangering the productivity and usage of agriculture, environmental amenities, and natural habitats. The natural resource base and ecosystem services in the peri-urban areas around municipalities must be preserved if cities are to remain livable and sustainable in the future.

The concern of the present study is therefore built around the problem of urban expansion into peri-urban regions and the impact of this phenomenon upon the well-being of the region. Development of peri-urban regions can lead, on the other hand, to considerable advantages, such as general economic growth, increased investments, and interest for the area. However, by definition, peri-urban regions are areas that surround cities, which cover agricultural lands and industrial objectives, and which are able to provide the necessary supply of agricultural products to the cities (especially vegetables and greens, milk, eggs, and cut flowers). This is the critical point tackled by our study, in which we develop an analysis exploring how peri-urban regions can develop sustainably so that this environment is not damaged.

To illustrate this issue, the study has chosen a case study design formulated around the region of Bragadiru, a peri-urban area located near a municipality in Romania. The region has been subject to massive development in the last few years, witnessing substantial economic and population growth. The region will be further detailed under the next sections of this paper.

The Treaty on the European Union [6] establishes sustainable development as a core principle and main priority of the EU’s internal and external policies. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which create a framework for economic, social, environmental, and governance aspects of sustainable development [7]. Our study bases its research in Goal No. 8 of the SDGs, which advocates for ‘sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ [8]. It is therefore our main focus to integrate Goal 8 into the analysis, as a framework for exploring developments in the proposed peri-urban region of Romania.

The study will further develop under a structured format, being composed of a critical review of the present literature in the field, followed by a section presenting the research methods chosen to conduct the analysis. Research results will be then presented in a systematized format, followed by a section of discussion, so that conclusions can be clearly drawn at the end of the article.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Sustainable Regional Development

Although sustainable regional development (SRD) is a relatively new discipline, it already has a considerable body of knowledge and skill, has made enough progress in theory and practice to be acknowledged as such, and is associated with philosophical quandaries and practical issues [9]. The idea behind the sustainability of a region is to raise the standard of living while staying within the confines of the global environment. It entails finding ways to enhance human welfare without harming the environment or affecting the welfare of other people [10].

Streimikiene [11] defines regional sustainability as ‘the continuous support of human quality of life within a region’s ecological carrying capacity’. Economic development is believed to include sustainable development as long as certain natural resources are present in the area [10]. However, Streimikiene et al. [12] claim that economic growth should continue to be limited to what the region can sustain environmentally. Regional development includes socioeconomic processes that are organized in their unique political and cultural context, in addition to conventional policy on a specific territory [13].

2.2. Peri-Urban Regions

In recent decades, research on urban and regional periphery has begun to take on a new focus. Gottero et al. [14] claim that decision-makers in planning, management, and policy should recognize the peri-urban phenomenon as an inevitable fact of the twenty-first century and lay out the guidelines for directing and controlling the growth of these areas as the productive areas. As urban growth spreads into rural and industrial territory, peri-urban regional borders are permeable and ill defined. No matter how the boundaries change, peri-urban areas will always exist.

Mbuligwe [15] illustrates how peri-urban communities, which sit at the border of urban and rural areas, combine elements of both (Figure 1).

Githiri and Foster [16] refer to peri-urban regions as the rural–urban transition zone, where urban and rural uses coexist and frequently clash. As a result, they are perceived as a distinct landscape type that was created from the combination of urban and rural land use.

Peri-urban locations tend to draw newcomers, who are likely to come from a variety of ethnic groups in terms of demographics (backgrounds). Housing in peri-urban areas often takes a variety of forms, with a generally lower quality and value than in urban areas. Compared to urban areas, the population density is probably lower, while dwelling occupancy is probably higher. Schools, hospitals, and other community facilities are typically of lower quality in these locations than in urban centers. Naturally, peri-urban income levels are lower than urban income levels [15].

Research frequently refers to peri-urban regions, in regard to their proximity to urban areas, as being functionally related yet located on the periphery of both urban and rural areas [17]. Because of this, their limits, which are already challenging to define, may constantly change as former peri-urban regions are eventually swallowed by growing cities [18,19].

2.3. Sustainable Regional Development in Europe

In the European Union, ‘sustainable regional development’ (SRD) refers to the application of the principles of sustainable development to regional planning. As a result, all programs and tools that support sustainable development within regional economic initiatives are included in SRD [10].

The United Nations’ Agenda 2030 consists of 169 goals and 17 Sustainable Development Goals and was adopted by world leaders in 2015 [8]. It suggests that sustainable development entails balancing the requirements of the present with those of coming generations. Economic, environmental, and social pillars are considered the main policies which people must use to cooperate and assist one another in order to achieve sustainable development [20].

World leaders have made a commitment to eradicate poverty, safeguard the environment, and guarantee that everyone lives in peace and prosperity. The European Commission claims that, in order to advance the EU’s commitment to and leadership in sustainable development, it is critical to make consistent progress toward the SDGs, engage with partner nations and civil society, and represent the Union at a high international level [7].

Romania, as a member state of the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), has expressed its adherence to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/70/1 [21].

Out of the pool of listed goals, Goal No. 8 has been considered of high relevance for the approach of our paper. It has as its main target the promotion of sustained economic growth which is open to everyone and full, durable employment and insurance of enough employment for the entire population. To contribute to full employment and economic growth, the goal also proposes enhancing touristic potential while highlighting the importance of sustainable tourism.

Goal No. 8 can be further detailed as a series of actions to be achieved by the year of 2030:

• Continue to maintain a GDP growth rate superior to the EU average, in parallel with the application of sustainable principles and constant improvement of population living standard.
• Promote supportive development-oriented policies to sustain productive activities, create decent jobs, and increase entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.
• Achieve higher levels of productivity via diversification, technological upgrades, and innovation.
• Achieve long-term competitive tourism; development of agritourism, ecotourism, and rural, spa, and cultural tourism; and improve Romania’s image as a touristic destination. Promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
• Full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people and people with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value [5].

Taking all of the above literature analysis into account, little research has been witnessed in the way Goal No. 8 of the SDGs has been applied to peri-urban regions. It is therefore our main ambition to offer an extended analysis in this sphere by looking at current and future trends of peri-urban regions to sustainably develop following Goal No. 8. This is illustrated by analyzing the case of a region located in Ilfov, Romania, exploring multiple perspectives, namely those of residents, professionals, and official reports.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Case Study

To explore the impact of regional development upon the sustainability of peri-urban regions, we have chosen the specific case of Bragadiru, a peri-urban region located in Romania, part of the county of Ilfov, which has lately boomed economically. Bragadiru surrounds the municipality of Bucharest and has been subject to massive investments, resulting in significant changes in the zone. Immediately after the Romanian Revolution (1989), the city had 6298 inhabitants; on 1 January 2021, the area registered almost 4.4 times more inhabitants [22]. This is the result of the migration of the population from urban to rural areas, extending borders and increasing the population’s interest in moving to peri-urban regions.

The following geolocation map (Figure 2) illustrates the exact position of Bragadiru, showing its localization within Romanian territory, while also highlighting its proximity to the capital, Bucharest:

The National Institute of Statistics [24] reports that, in 2022, the largest living area per home was registered in the counties of Bucharest and Ilfov (53.0 m²), the latter including the Bragadiru region. Consequently, massive residential development has been documented in the area, with people migrating from the municipality towards its borders, searching for larger living spaces and better selling prices. This is apparent if we look at the areas with the highest volume of new residences built in 2022: Bucharest (12,249 homes), followed by Ilfov (9079) [24]. With newspapers headlines calling Bragadiru ‘the new residential star’ [25], the region demonstrated great housing increases in 2021, registering 1047 new built homes, a substantial number if we compare it with its neighbouring area Clinceni, which saw the construction of only 173 new residences during the same year [26].

It is however the environmental impact which raises the question of whether all this regional development is truly beneficial to the well-being of a peri-urban region. Considering the natural environment, the steppe area occupies most of the southern part of Bucharest, where we also find the peri-urban region of Bragadiru. We can however observe a collection of three species, found in meadow streams near willow and poplar forests. The responsibility for reducing the area of green spaces rests, according to the laws in force at this date, with central and local public administration authorities, as well as with natural and legal persons [23]. Green areas are defined in this study as parks, gardens, botanical gardens, forests, and private residential green areas.

3.2. Research Design

The study takes the form of an exploratory study, engaging with qualitative data to explore the topic of sustainable development in peri-urban regions. Both primary and secondary data are gathered using a triangulation technique aimed at increasing the complexity and authenticity of the study. The technique is known for utilizing, in the same study, many data sources, such as times, places, and people, to increase the validity and reliability of the results while correlating the findings and making up for any data deficiencies with the strengths of other data [27].

Denzin [28] and Patton [29] recognized four categories of triangulation: method triangulation, investigator triangulation, theory triangulation, and data source triangulation. While the first method involves using a variety of data collection techniques to study the same topic [30], investigator triangulation requests multiple observations from two or more researchers. Theory triangulation analyses and understands data by engaging different theories. Data source triangulation is gathering information from a variety of sources, such as individuals, groups, families, and communities, in order to obtain multiple viewpoints and validate data [31]. The latter technique was considered suitable for our study, as it enabled the researchers to capture various eligible angles from multiple actors directly implied in the proposed phenomenon.

The three perspectives engaged using the data triangulation technique are highlighted in the diagram below (Figure 3):

One of the main starting points that formed our research scheme is the perspective of residents located in the peri-urban area. Elements such as sustainable regional development, economic growth, availability of workspace, and touristic potential are captured in a dynamic manner by conducting interviews with locals of the targeted zone. On the other hand, legitimacy is enhanced by exploring perspectives of individuals with a level of expertise directly implicated in the development of the region. Therefore, actors in the domain of topographic and cadastre engineering, architecture, and construction were interviewed, all working in Bragadiru. Last but not least, such opinions are compared and contrasted with publicly available reports and statistics, published by the public authorities of the region, this last angle being a point of comparison with what was has been done, what is being done, and what is forecasted in the future. As such, the proposed triangulation research scheme aims to present a critical analysis upon the proposed topic, followed by discussions and recommendations.

3.3. Research Objectives

Based on the goal of the research, a number of objectives are established, which serve as the foundation of the semi-structured interview guide and for further analysis:

• O₁.: Determine implications of sustainability for a peri-urban area by also bringing attention to regional developments’ impact.
• O₂.: Measure the degree to which development policies in a peri-urban region lead to job creation, entrepreneurial initiatives, and innovative development in the area.
• O₃.: Explore if there is an interest in the area in tourism and sustainable tourism.

As claimed by Oakley [32], a qualitative interview is a form of framework where practices and standards can be reached, pushed, and reinforced in addition to being documented. This article engaged, on the one side, the research technique of semi-structured interviews, together with the use of secondary data, to capture the proposed problem directly from the market. The previously presented objectives of the study have been transposed into qualitative interview questions, built around the main topics of the study. In total, the interview guide contained 20 questions (excluding the demographical questions), organized as follows:

• 4 open-ended questions (ex. ‘Please offer a few examples of any actions, practices or efforts that have been done in your area which were meant to make the area more sustainable.’)
• 4 closed-ended questions-ranking questions-1-5 Likert scale (ex.: ‘If you could asses and evaluate the sustainability orientation of local authorities and their decisions, how would you rate them from 1 to 5 (1 meaning very weak sustainability oriented actions and 5 meaning significant sustainability oriented actions)’)
• 12 questions with structured answer: YES/NO/PARTIALLY/I don’t know/I don’t want to answer (ex.: Do you think that the area you live in is sustainability oriented? Yes/Partially/NO/I don’t know/I don’t want to answer’.

Any other additional relevant commentaries could have been added by the interviewee to each question type. Additionally, questions aimed at deepening the discussed topic were added by the interviewer during the interview process to obtain more details.

3.4. Data Collection

There is a great deal of use of in-depth semi-structured in qualitative research as an interviewing format, sometimes with an individual and other times with a group [33]. These kinds of interviews are carried out a single time, either with a single person or a group of people, and often last from 30 min to over an hour [34].

In our case, data were collected by conducting a series of 25 individual semi-structured interviews between October and December of 2022 among residents of Bragadiru and 3 interviews with professionals implicated directly in the development of the region-participating in the last 10 years in projects regarding regional development. Being concerned with comprehending a phenomenon in detail and a meaning-oriented study, the research considered the number of participants as being relevant to obtaining a valuable qualitative analysis.

Given that the objective of the current research is closely related to gathering information about perceptions and attitudes of people living in the targeted area, the application of interviews was considered particularly appropriate. The semi-structured interview was chosen to allow for a balance between accuracy of the information’s rigidly specified topical structure and a degree of flexibility that the researcher needed in order to better explore the subject with regard to the introduction of new questions, to facilitate effective communication and draw attention to any specific concerns in the interviewees’ speech [35].

Next, inclusion and exclusion criteria of selecting the participants are outlined in

Table 1. Inclusion and exclusion criteria of selecting the participants.

Inclusion Criteria	Exclusion Criteria
Age 18+	Minors
Men and Women	No gender exclusion criteria
Residency in the region	People not residents of Bragadiru.
Able and willing to discuss the topic proposed	People showing no ability or willingness to discuss the topic
Available to participate face-to-face or on the phone	No availability to participate face-to-face or via phone

Source: Author’s own research.

:

The degree of saturation of each topic’s material and the potential number of topics recognized as important to the objective of the research force the qualitative research, especially in the case of interviews, to use an exploratory method handling small-scale samples [36].

The interview guide was constructed based on 4 topics (Sustainability, Job Creation, Tourism, Sustainable Tourism), each topic containing a set of 4–5 questions directly related to the topic.

The sample of the research was extracted based on qualitative research specific methods to interviews, that of the purposive method. This technique allows the researcher to divide participants into groups based on predetermined criteria pertinent to the research question [37]. Therefore, the demographics of our sample are summarized below (

Table 2. Sample demographics information.

Demographics Information	No of Participants
Gender
Male	15
Female	10
Age Range
18–29	8
30–39	6
40–49	5
50–59	5
>60	1
Years of Residency
1	2
2	5
3	4
4	4
5	2
7	1
10	2
13	2
15	1
20	1
30	1

Source: researchers’ interviews results, as displayed by NVivo 14.

):

3.5. Data Processing

All the data collected were anonymized, while each participant was offered an ID in the range of 100 to 124. The same procedure was applied to the interviews conducted with professionals, each receiving a number from 1 to 3, as follows: Expert 1, Expert 2, Expert 3.

Data collected were processed using a qualitative data analysis software programme, NVivo 14. Information in the interviews was translated into codes under the following names: Sustainability, Job Creation, Tourism, and Sustainable Tourism.

A brief description of each code is mentioned below:

• Sustainability—this first code was aimed at measuring the implications of sustainability in the peri-urban area, covering aspects such as current sustainability-oriented projects and actions, current challenges, and real-estate development impact.
• Job Creation—this code targeted job sufficiency within the area, decent and equal job creation, entrepreneurial initiatives, creativity, and innovation in the region.
• Tourism—this code contains arguments regarding the potential of the area to become a touristic attraction, including cultural and recreational attractions, infrastructure for tourism, and accommodation.
• Sustainable Tourism—this code targets the potential of the peri-urban region to benefit from sustainable tourism.

4. Results

The present study is based on extensive analysis gathering, comparing, and contrasting three relevant perspectives on the peri-urban region Bragadiru. Being an area which surrounds the capital of Romania, Bragadiru has been the target of significant investment, resulting in both positive and negative outcomes. Therefore, the following sections of this paper unveil a qualitative investigation of how the area is currently developing by following four main critical factors—sustainability, job availability, tourism, and sustainable tourism—as derived from Goal 8 of the SDGs.

4.1. Sustainability

4.1.1. Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Sustainability and its presence in the knowledge of locals was considered essential to the proposed focus of the paper. By addressing the question ‘Do you consider the area you live in to be sustainability oriented?’, our study tried to generate a snapshot of the amount of knowledge held by respondents towards sustainability and its implementation in the area analysed. It is worth mentioning that, in order to make sure that everybody understood the significance of the term ‘sustainability’, the interviewer carefully read the related definitions before asking the questions. Responses to this research question have been summarized in the table below (

Table 3. Residents’ sustainability perceptions.

Research Question	Respondents’ Answers (%)			Respondents’ Answers (%) >5 Years of Residency
	YES	NO	PARTIALLY	YES	NO	PARTIALLY
‘Do you consider the area you live in to be sustainability oriented?’	52%	20%	28%	23%	38%	39%

Source: researchers’ interviews results, as displayed by NVivo 14.

):

Results of the interviews show that more than half of residents of Bragadiru (52%) perceive the region as being sustainability oriented and 20% claim no sustainability in the area, while the rest suggest that Bragadiru is only partially oriented towards this trend. However, when we queried respondents with a minimum of 5 years of residency in the area, we observed that only 23% of these consider the area sustainability oriented, claiming that ‘sustainability is not the main focus of the area’ (ID 103). This may indicate that, in the medium term, new programs undertaken by local authorities are not fully trusted by residents with more than 5 years of residency, as attitudes of suspicion and doubt have been witnessed among respondents.

Out of professionals’ perspectives regarding this topic, only Expert 1 suggested positive trends of the area towards sustainability, while the rest claim that it is difficult to define such an issue, as Bragadiru ‘has good development programs, but their implementation method is wrong, implying a lot of bureaucracy’.

However, official reports show that the region aims to become ‘friendly with the environment’ by 2027 [38]. Moreover, the ‘The Sustainable Development Strategy of Bragadiru’ [39], issued in 2023, proposes a prioritization of actions oriented towards ensuring basic conditions by the end of 2030: infrastructure, environmental protection for the surrounding area, and social development. This is in line with the affirmations of Jojovic et al. [10], who claim that raising living standards while remaining constrained by the global environment is the philosophy behind a region’s sustainability.

4.1.2. Existent Activities Oriented towards Sustainability

Distinguishing existent actions oriented towards sustainability may represent a strong triggering point for an area to develop and become more sustainable. As the boundaries of the peri-urban region are ill-defined and permeable as urban growth extends into rural and industrial areas [3], it may be challenging to note precisely which current actions are currently implemented in the zone and what should be further done.

Interviews with 25 residents in the area, however, reveal a degree of knowledge of existent actions oriented towards sustainability. The interview question ‘Could you offer examples of efforts, activities, projects that are undertaken to make the area more sustainable?’, received a series of relevant examples, out of which the most meaningful are presented in the table below (

Table 4. Sustainability-oriented activities and projects in the area—residents’ perspectives.

Resident ID	Qualitative Response
101	A 10,000 square meter piece of land was purchased for the construction of a new school and a new kindergarten. More parking spaces were set up, plus residential parking lots at the blocks were extended.
103	Investments in the park area.
105	Mobilizing the industrial sector for a clean and circular economy
108	Investments in green spaces—Bragadiru Park Selective waste collection Transport
109	They started installing the photovoltaic panels on the town hall buildings.
110	Waste collection of recyclables and household waste.
113	Selective collection Means of transport with access to Bucharest and other important areas Traffic lights for crossing intersections with a major risk of accidents
116	Investment in Bragadiru Park Selective Waste collection (but only in certain areas)
114	Waste Selective collection (I have seen dumpsters dedicated to selective collection at residential complexes) Green areas development
118	The Bragadiru Park has been renovated Waste is collected selectively in certain areas
122	Selective waste collection Constant cleaning of the streets

Source: Author’s own research, displayed from NVivo 14.

):

Thematic analysis of the responses suggests a tendency of residents to relate the topic of sustainability to the presence of green spaces and selective waste collection, all representing important highlights for the aim of our study. However, 3 out 25 participants claimed that they are not informed regarding any such actions in the area.

Professionals’ attitudes and opinions bring considerable value to the analysis, strengthening Bragadiru’s ability to maintain a sustainable environment and further develop towards this trend via the following:

• Corridor tabulation for the creation of bicycle paths;
• Greening of the area—an additional piece of park on the river bank has been planned;
• Schools and kindergartens built in certain neighbourhoods;
• Up to ten streets planned to be widened as a result of changes in the Law 255.

Expert 1, Expert 2

The 2016–2022 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru [40] claims that out of the 63 projects proposed in 2016, 20 were successfully implemented (31.7%), while another 24 are in progress (38%). Out of these, the report stated as follows (

Table 5. Sustainable implemented projects—authorities’ perspective.

Publicly Available Reports	Actions Undertaken to Increase Sustainability
‘The 2016–2022 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru’	Implementation of three additional green spaces
	Refurbishments of playgrounds
	Construction of four pedestrian walkways

Source: The 2016–2022 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru [40].

):

The report claimed that the area increased sustainability by providing not only three additional green spaces and refurbishments of playgrounds, but also the construction of four pedestrian walkways, an important detail when analysing pollution and traffic jams. Additionally, the ‘The 2023–2030 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru’ [39] describes a series of forecasted and already planned projects, aimed at increasing the level of sustainability in the region (

Table 6. Sustainable projects to be implemented—authorities perspective.

Publicly Available Reports	Actions to be Undertaken by 2030 to Increase Sustainability
‘The 2023–2030 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru’	Composting platform for recovery of biodegradable waste
	Electrical and electronic devices and equipment collection centre and battery waste and accumulators
	Increasing areas covered with trees and shrubs
	Continuation of the expansion of methane gas use, electricity and solar energy for housing
	Charging stations for electric vehicles
	Measurement of the level of noxious substances and allergens

Source: The 2023–2030 Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru [39].

):

All these actions are therefore expected to increase environmental protection, develop residents’ quality of life, and reach SDGs recommended by the United Nations.

4.1.3. Challenges of the Area

If, from an economic perspective, the zone benefits from its proximity to the capital and access to an important network of national and county roads, from the viewpoint of environmental protection, this leads to a disadvantage: noise and exhaust pollution due to traffic, as well as large quantities of uncontrolled waste generated mainly from real estate development [39].

This is confirmed by locals, who offered a series of impediments that the area is currently facing, claiming a long path until Bragadiru becomes fully sustainable. By utilizing the word frequency function in the programme NVivo 14, we have obtained a word cloud (Figure 4), illustrating the most frequent challenges mentioned by the 25 respondents:

Pollution and air and water quality, together with traffic jams, represent the main challenges that residents are facing. This is somewhat explicable if we are to analyse Bragadiru as a transitional zone located close to the capital, a peri-urban region situated between the rural environment and the margins of urban and regional centres [3], and which experiences a bit of both. However, official reports mention that, at the country level, ambient air quality is monitored via real-time measurement stations, located in neighbouring communes [39]. Additionally, the lack of sewage treatment and pedestrian sidewalks were noticed among answers, but also a feeling from respondents that they are not properly informed about sustainability actions.

Results are consolidated by bringing to attention the attitudes and beliefs of actors directly involved in the development process of the analysed area. The three professionals in the study highlighted similar challenges while also adding ‘a possible future agglomeration of buildings, like in urban areas, as it is built a lot and at short distances between buildings’.

A survey conducted in 2022 under the ‘Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru 2023–2030′ [39] reveals similar perceptions by the locals of Bragadiru. The study, consisting of 53% women and 47% men who were residents of the region, exposed their main concerns when they were asked about the main problems facing the areas. The top three most cited challenges were: environmental protection, construction discipline, and the absence of a hospital [39]. This is a change in priorities compared to the same survey conducted in 2015 under the ‘Sustainable development strategy of Bragadiru 2016–2022′, when water supply and public transportation were cited as the main challenges [40]. This shows the direct impact of regional development upon the well-being of locals and implicitly of the environment and nature, as the process of urbanization, the expansion of investments from urban to peri-urban determined a change in problem prioritization of residents.

What is interesting to note is that the needs and wants of the population of Bragadiru are in line with the projects planned to be undertaken by the region by 2030 (see Table 6), out of which we mention the most relevant: ‘Increasing areas covered with trees and shrubs’ and ‘Measurement of the level of noxious substances and allergens’. From the point of view of maintaining the sustainability of the area, we witness an equilibrium in-between the three-fold approach, between what residents need, and what authorities plan to implement to maintain a ‘clean’ urbanization.

4.1.4. Residential Developments

Over the years, regulations have represented the basis of agricultural land transformations. On Romanian territory, a series of laws have been enforced which permitted the establishment of a legal framework for the refund and transfer of several agricultural lands: Law 1/2000, Law 10/2001, and Law 350/2001 [41,42,43].

As a consequence, increased residential development has been observed in the past years. Urban growth from the capital towards its surroundings was mostly unrestrained, as pointed in the ‘Development strategy of Ilfov county 2020–2030’. Publicly available data show a large number of residential houses constructed in 2022 in the region of Bucharest–Ilfov (Bragadiru being part of Ilfov), along with some other peri-ruban regions, with a major investment coming from private investments (Figure 5):

We can therefore observe that the majority of residences constructed in 2022 were publicly funded, with 21,298 new residences in Bucharest–Ilfov, followed by the north-western area of the country with 11,100 new units. This trend indicates that the majority of capital invested in peri-urban regions in Romania belongs to the private sector. This could indicate a strong attractiveness of such regions for private businesses for investment due to their accessibility and low construction prices.

However, recent real-estate developments are believed to have undermined the medium and long-term development potential of some places by failing to properly develop the scale of transportation, services, and public utilities. With an important reserve of agricultural land—1745 ha, representing 70% of the area of the region from 2005 to 2006 [44]—the area of Bragadiru attracted massive investment in residential developments.

Based on a query analysis in NVivo 14, according to the criteria of perceptions, results showed divided opinions, perceptions, and attitudes in locals. The number of participants considering real-estate developments non-harmful surpassed the rest, with 8/25 participants claiming they do not perceive such developments as being impactful. Simultaneously, 6 out of 25 perceived such developments as dangerous, while the same number stated it may be only partially damaging. We have therefore subtracted a series of positive and negative arguments in

Table 7. Positive and negative perceptions towards real-estate developments—residents’ perspectives.

Perspective Type	ID	Response
Positive Perspective	106	In the past, the area was abandoned, now real-estate developments help the development of the area and economic growth.
	107	I believe that residential projects bring more sustainability to the area, thus making a larger community.
Negative Perspective	104	The houses-built affect sustainability of the area because there are small spaces left between them—the green areas cannot develop ‘they are so close that the balconies touch each other and it is impossible to grow trees in-between’.
	113	On the short term, they may not affect, but on the long term, if developments continue at the same rate, the phenomenon of real estate overcrowding can be created as in Bucharest—almost no free space, too many residential houses/residential complexes.
	108	Residential developments create dust, dirt. The area approves new projects in too large volumes. Constructions are too close of one another, also because the streets are too small. Poor space efficiency due to constructions.

Source: Author’s own research, displayed from NVivo 14.

:

Even though respondents seemed divided into two different categories according to perspective upon residential developments, we have to highlight that a number of 6 participants believed that the problem depends on the way constructions are realized and measured, advocating for controlled construction within certain rules (sustainably oriented construction, green energy-based, sustainable materials).

Two of our experts agreed with this reasoning, stating that residential developments may affect, to some extent, sustainability of the area, if certain systems are not implemented to reduce the impact of construction, while also suggesting that a developed residential area is also meant to achieve economic sustainability and resilience.

It is therefore difficult to define the general perspective of participants regarding real-estate developments and their impact upon a peri-urban zone. However, it is clear that well-managed development plans, together with clearly defined regulation systems are necessary in order to avoid overcrowding and the destruction of what a peri-urban region can offer.

4.2. Full and Productive Employment

4.2.1. Job Creation

Over the years, the population in Bragadiru has been growing, reaching 40,080 number of residents in 2021, showing an increase of 161.5% in the number of inhabitants compared to 2011 [45].

The official report approaching current and future economic health and strategies in Ilfov, ‘Development strategy of Ilfov county 2020–2030’ [46] states that Bragadiru is one of the regions registering the largest workforce in the zone. Other sources mention that Bragadiru has the strengths of possessing ‘A generous job offer in the region’, but also a ‘low unemployment rate compared to the national average of similar areas’ [39].

However, even though statistics show 7524 jobs generated by the economic activities in the region [20], more than half of residents interviewed in our study (56%) believe that the zone does not offer enough jobs, nor decent jobs, expressing the following thoughts:

• 103—Lack of jobs for young people who want to develop (30–39 years old)
• 105—Jobs offered only for unskilled work (30–39 years old)
• 112—Not enough jobs in Bragadiru for skilled workers (50–59 years old)
• 113—Jobs available only for unskilled workers (18–29 years old)
• 116—Availability only for certain niches–unskilled workers—commercial workers, construction/factory workers, etc. (50–59 years old)
• 124—Only for unskilled workers, no corporations (40–49 years old)

However, if we examine the age of respondents above, we observe that the opinion trend is present amongst all age groups, indicating no direct connection between age group and job availability. In other words, Bragadiru may exhibit a lack of job availability, specifically for skilled workers, regardless the age of residents. Professionals interviewed share the same view, claiming however that there is a significant job deficit in the service and industry areas. This is in contrast with the information previously provided by public reports, which suggest a balanced and sufficient job availability and work environment. Additionally, public reports even underline a weakness of the zone generated by a ‘low degree of qualification of the labour force in certain fields’ [39].

4.2.2. Job Equality

Goal 8 of the SDGs pledges equal rights and inclusion of both men and women, young people, and disabled people in the work environment [47]. It is interesting to note that the results of our conducted interviews indicate low interest among residents when addressed such topics. The area of discussion regarding job offer equality did not seem to be a subject of interest to our respondents, with not much knowledge expressed, but rather an impartial attitude.

4.2.3. Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Innovation

In Resolution 75/211, adopted in December 2020, the General Assembly of the United Nations acknowledged the significant contribution that entrepreneurship makes to sustainable development. This resolution focused on the role of entrepreneurship in driving inclusive economic growth and innovation, enhancing social conditions, and addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [7].

As a result of massive popularization, Bragadiru managed to increase its economy by attracting a series of investments. Official statistics reveal a total of 2100 registered firms, while 1946 figure as active commercial companies [48]. Most entrepreneurs and investors are active in the following fields: retail trade in non-specialized stores, with the predominant product sales being food, beverages and tobacco; road transport of goods; and construction. In 2016, the food industry generated the highest turnover [39].

The market is considered active from the perspective of our residents’ sample, as the research question ‘Do you consider that the policies in the area encourage entrepreneurial initiative, creativity and innovation, and, implicitly, the development of micro, small and medium enterprises?’ received 52% positive opinions. The experts interviewed shared the same perspective, arguing that it is ‘a poorly regulated area’ (Expert 1), which offers a lot of freedom and opportunities to develop at low cost by offering generous territories into which to expand.

Nevertheless, Bragadiru seems to have a strong entrepreneurial and innovation orientation, which is in line with Priority No 8 of the Regional Operational Program Bucharest–Ilfov 2021–2027 [38], which pledges ‘a competitive region through innovation, digitization and dynamic enterprises, aimed […] and the formation of a critical mass of innovative SMEs is considered’.

It is therefore a strong initiative and focus of the area to economically develop via the creation of new businesses, a highlight which may, in time, become the solution to the lack of job availability for skilled workers claimed by locals in the previous paragraph of this section.

4.3. Developing Tourism and Sustainable Tourism in Peri-Urban Regions

In many nations and places around the world, tourism has occupied an important role in achieving sustainable development. Development of the tourism industry has been a key approach in developing nations for boosting economic growth, reducing poverty, generating employment, and enhancing food security [49].

There is however little knowledge observed among residents of Bragadiru regarding the touristic potential of the area. Out of the 40% of respondents stating that they find a degree of touristic potential in the area, only one attraction has been mainly referred to, this being the main park, namely Bragadiru Park. ‘The park has lately received major investments and has become a significant attraction, even for residents living in the capital’, says one of respondents. However, respondents affirmed that ‘there may be potential, but we do not know much about this subject’ (ID 104), showing that locals may be uninformed and there may be a top-down inefficient process of transferring information from the local authorities to the residents.

Nevertheless, if we are to compare and contrast these results with answers of one the professionals, a great deal seems to be missed by locals, starting with historical places (‘a fort built by Carol I’—Expert 1, Expert 2) to recreational attractions (‘a river suitable for fishing, a camping area’—Expert 1).

Furthermore, among the targets of the No 8 Goal of SDGS we find the concept of ‘sustainable tourism’. Being defined as an aspiration to a ‘tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.’ [50], sustainable tourism is aimed at increasing job creation and promoting local culture and products [8].

A substantial number of peri-urban areas were developed as a result of separate projects for which there was no clear shared overarching goal or cogent planning. There are several theories of urbanization of the urban periphery, and one of their key differences is to what extent different spatial scales are integrated. However, certain negative impacts are common and expected, such as the use of agricultural land for other purposes, traffic congestion, issues with social integration, landscape fragmentation, habitat loss, biodiversity loss, and, generally speaking, the reduction of ecological capacity and enlargement of the ecological footprint [51].

Urban growth has had an impact on peri-urban regions and their ecosystem services and landscape character, with varying implications for the population’s quality of life. When interviewed about whether Bragadiru can benefit from sustainable tourism, 88% of individuals suggested the probability of this was low. This is discouraging if we analyse the great positive impact of sustainable tourism upon the natural environment and upon the future generations by bringing together awareness and touristic perspectives. The perception was the same in the case of the interviewed experts, who showed a negative opinion when asked about the topic. The majority claimed that the area already possesses little culture heritage and few traditions to be exploited, while it is difficult to preserve the environment when one of the main transportation means in the area is the personal car, which produces many traffic jams and pollution.

Official reports sustain previous information, stating that increased attention should be dedicated to cultural life. However, reduced budgetary resources compared to the need for investments in cultural and recreational attractions are claimed [39].

5. Discussion

Territorial areas of peri-urban regions have provoked growing interest, from both an economic and sustainable perspective. Rather than expanding urban regions at the expense of the rural, the current urban sprawl will continue to encourage the process of creation of intermediate zones, places where rural and urban interfere and interconnect [51].

Further, we bring into this context the emerging concepts of sustainability and sustainable development, together with the view that economic development should be limited to what a region can environmentally support [12]. More thoroughly, we emphasize that, despite the expansion of urban territories and the migration of the population from urban to peri-urban areas, increased attention should be centred around the preservation of natural resources, so that initial destinations of peri-urban regions are not lost over time, such that agricultural land will still be able to provide resources to the big cities it surrounds. Therefore, aspects such as air quality, water quality, space efficiency, and waste collection have been approached.

The research is therefore built on the framework of Goal 8 of the UN’s SDGs, which promotes sustained economic growth, full and productive employment, and beneficial and sustainable tourism. Using the triangulation research technique, the paper aims to explore current and future developments of the growing peri-urban of Romania, based on Goal 8. To conduct such an analysis, the study was categorized based on the following building blocks: sustainability, job creation, tourism, and sustainable tourism.

Primary data collected reveal that sustainability is perceived as being present or partially present in the targeted region, with more than half of residents expressing a tendency of the region towards sustainability, via investments made in green spaces and selective waste collection. Experts involved in the development of the area increased the value and amount of detail of the analysis by adding additional projects undertaken for the zone to become greener and remain sustainable (corridor tabulation for bicycle paths, widening of streets), expressing however that the area is still partially oriented toward sustainability, while official reports state that this issue is a main priority for the strategy of the region, focusing mainly on infrastructure, environmental protection, and social development.

The analysis is further developed by approaching the topic of job availability within the targeted area. For this particular case, results show a deficiency of employment for workers possessing superior knowledge, mainly referring to jobs requiring superior education. Regardless of their age, residents claimed that the job situation within Bragadiru mainly targets unskilled workers, mostly in the areas of commerce, factories, and construction. This opinion is shared by experts in the domain; however, the latter claim a lack of job availability in the service and industry areas. The information provided by public reports, which opine on a balanced and sufficient job availability and work environment, contrasts with the primary data received. Public sources even suggest that the ‘low degree of labour force qualification in certain fields’ is a vulnerability of the zone.

Based on these research results, including experts’ opinions and the residents’ sample, Bragadiru can be considered an area that favours entrepreneurial development and innovation, a fact which can be also observed by looking at its recent expansion and residential developments. What is interesting to note is that the concern regarding the potential impact of residential development upon the environment has been differently approached by participants to the study, with respondents split into positive and negative opinions, with almost a third of them having a ‘partial’ opinion. Together with experts, almost third of the sample argued that, only if properly regulated and controlled, real-estate development can benefit the area while the environment is also preserved.

However, we raise the question of the quality of this rapid expansion and the risk of forming a region of ‘modern ghettos’. To be more explicit, Bragadiru has experienced a rapid process of construction permit delivery, so that the regional development is facilitated. All this implicitly results in residential agglomeration, as shown in Figure 6:

Compared to the year of 2002, we can observe that Bragadiru is currently occupied by a series of residential buildings with the risk of deteriorating the region, built at minimal distances from one another and diminishing green space availability, facts also claimed by some of our respondents, such as local ID 104 (See Table 7). Following this direction, the rapid residential expansion results in budget tax increases; however, the socially oriented investments seem to remain behind. As observed in public reports [38,39,40], locals have already requested more public schools, kindergartens, and recreational green spaces. It is therefore the public servants of the region who have to take action and prioritize the needs of its population before private investors will take their place. We leave room for further research under this line of approach, a direction which questions the amount of importance placed on the residents in this rapid real-estate cycle.

Goal 8 of the SDGs considers tourism industry a considerable contributor to the economic growth of a region by highlighting the importance of promoting sustainable tourism. In our approach to these two concepts, we obtained slightly different results. Interviews conducted with residents reveal fewer than half of participants believe that Bragadiru possesses a degree of touristic potential, while one of our professionals expressed the opposite. By offering a series of potential touristic attractions in the area, the expert suggests that there may be a vertical problem of information transmission, a top-down communication problem coming from authorities to the residents, as residents do not seem to be informed regarding current attractions and cultural heritage. Additionally, we do not exclude a possible lack of interest from residents in visiting the region. Interesting to note is that the same phenomenon has been witnessed regarding two other different questions. Firstly, a number of participants, while relatively small (3/25), claim that they are not informed about any such actions oriented towards sustainability. Secondly, the majority of residents did not show any knowledge regarding the distribution of job offers between sexes. In consequence, misinformation or a lack of interest could be the cause of such responses.

Last but not least, the issue of sustainable tourism offers very few opportunities for development by all parties in the triangulation scheme. This is due to the poor infrastructure in the region, which leads to traffic jams when travelling to the area and to the lack of culture and traditions that the zone can benefit from, as claimed by residents.

This indicates that significant action should be undertaken in order to enhance touristic potential, and new initiatives and new actors should be involved. New schemes of approach could be implemented, for which we bring to attention the ‘trio’ proposed by the authors of [53], who suggest that joining the efforts and creativity of tourists, tour operators, and local population are possible key elements to increase tourism. Involving multiple actors with the same interests and all receiving benefits may be a strategic scheme to enhance tourism in the zone and for interest for the local authorities.

Furthermore, since a strong initiative and focus towards entrepreneurship and new business development has been witnessed, we would propose that the area would benefit and create new job opportunities by focusing on workers with superior education. The extension of business zones from municipalities towards such areas would definitely lead to job creation; however, the consequences of increased pollution and traffic jams have to be taken into consideration.

6. Conclusions

To conclude, we may state that it is still too early to state whether Goal 8 can be reached before the year of 2030 in the analysed region. What is clear is that the peri-urbanisation phenomenon has resulted in great progress, showing a series of actions and projects undertaken to increase sustainability in Bragadiru. By comparing and contrasting the three perspectives engaged and by observing the discrepancies, it seems, however, that there are still a series of issues that have to be approached. Keeping in mind the fact that sustainability is not a one-time process, but rather a habit that has to be maintained over time in order to be considered efficient, there is still more to be discussed about the targeted area. While the process of peri-urbanisation may have favourable economic effects on the balance of payments, employment, gross domestic product, and other factors, it may also have unfavourable effects, particularly on the environment. What is clear is that the growth of the inner city, the accelerated pace of housing construction, and population migration extending borders have led to a decline in the importance of agricultural activities in the local economy, together with a degradation of the environment.

Our study therefore increases awareness of the authenticity of peri-urban regions. Our results indicate that increased investments in such regions have damaged the sustainability of the area, affecting both quality of life and the natural environment. Being an area with a low potential for sustainable tourism, Bragadiru has to further develop responsibly, by maintaining a clear balance of the benefits the proximity to both rural and urban areas can bring.

We further propose extended research on the topic of sustainability and sustainable development in peri-urban regions by taking into consideration more areas within Romania, as well as other countries. A study comparing and contrasting the current implementation of the SDGs in various regions would significantly enrich our knowledge on the topic. To diminish time consideration limitations, we recommend a longitudinal qualitative analysis, which would explore the topic on a long time scale and would better analyse the phenomenon.

Additionally, further extrapolations to developed countries, such as France and Germany, are proposed in order to obtain a comparative analysis of the discussed trend. Moreover, the sample of the research should be extended, together with the authorized perspectives involved in the development of the area. Primary data collected from the public authorities of the regional zone would increase trustworthiness and reliability of the study.