As traditional rural industries like frarming, forestry and mining give way to residential and commercial development, the land at the edges of the developed areas - the rural-urban fringe - is becoming the middle landscape between the city and the countryside that the suburbs once were. To date, this rural-urban fringe has been largely ignored in national policy debates. This book highlights the importance and relevance of population and economic growth, environmental quality and competitiveness in the global economy - and examines the implications for accommodating population and economic growth at a regional and not merely local level. The text is intended as a resource for planners, policy-makers and all those looking to the future of fringe areas.