Foreword

‘Land Take’, an ambiguous scientific concept
     The statistical measurement of this concept remains uncertain …
     … but is increasingly used in the public debate
     Is the sealing of surfaces synonymous with land take?
     Urbanization, a major driver of land take, continues beyond city borders

Chapter 1 - Methods of measuring the extent of land take in France
     Objectives and methods for measuring land use change
     Measurements and trends in land take in France
     Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 2 - The impacts of land take on the characteristics and properties of soils
     Impacts of artificialization on the physical, physicochemical and chemical characteristics of soils
     Impacts of land take on soil organisms and biodiversity
     Strategies to limit the impacts of artificialization on soil properties
     Limitations of available studies and identification of research needs

Chapter 3 - The direct and indirect impacts of land take on the characteristics and functioning of artificialized environments
     Impacts of land take on landscapes, habitats and plant and animal species
     Impact of land take on urban hydrology and stormwater management
     Impacts of artificialization on the physical urban environment

Chapter 4 - Agricultural land, agricultural activities, and land take
     Direct impacts of land take on agricultural production
     Income from agricultural land, a driver of land use changes
     Local factors influencing the likelihood of agricultural land being converted to artificialized land
     Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 5 - Household location strategies and housing construction
    Housing preferences, urban sprawl and peri-urbanisation
     Land and property policies to limit urban and peri-urban sprawl
     Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 6 - Determinants of land take by enterprises and transport infrastructure
     Business and industry location strategies
     Transport infrastructure in France
     Conclusions and policy tools

Chapter 7 - Avoiding or reducing land take, or possibly compensating for its effects
     The legal and fiscal drivers of land take
     Mechanisms to avoid or control land take
     Mechanisms to reduce the effects of land take
     Mechanisms to compensate for the effects of land take
     Conclusions

Bibliography
List of Authors