Expression of city edges in different cultures and its influence on urban landscape design: a comparison between the urban-rural interface in Brazil and New Zealand medium sized cities

Medium-sized cities are common in Brazil and are responsible for local regional development. The rapid development of these cities results in urban territorial expansion and the substitution of natural landscapes for urban ones. That is, productive land is substituted for urban development. A similar phenomenon has occurred in New Zealand in the last 15 years, where farms located close to cities have recently become urbanised. The main objective of this study is to compare and analyse the cities' edges and the interface between urban and rural environments, based on socio-cultural, political and economic values. Both cultural urban landscapes studied in this paper have specific characteristics. This paper explores the conceptual differences of urban fabric in both cities and discusses principles that should be respected in urban landscape design to achieve urban forms that respect the local cultures.