The development of peri-urban areas in Romania: a case study of Suceava municipality

In the rural areas located in the vicinity of cities, rapid physical, social, and economic transformations are occurring, gradually leading to changes in the structure of the rural economy. Although each city and its associated peri-urban areas present different expansion models, from an economic point of view, they are all marked by changes in local economic structures, employment, spatial development patterns, and rising land costs. These dynamics are driving the reconfiguration of Suceava Municipality's peri-urban entrepreneurship, shifting from the predominance of agricultural activities towards goods production and services, in line with the development needs of the polarizing city. Using structural indicators of the peri-urban active population, levels of capital expenditure, and the operational budgets of rural communities, changes in their economy were identified, closely correlated with accessibility to the urban labour market and capital investments from the functional urban areas of cities in the North-East Development Region of Romania. The results show an increase in the average number of employees in peri-urban communes, as well as a diversification in economic activities.