Diverging values and development options for agroforestry in a metropolitan area of North Africa

The use of large green infrastructures in peri-urban areas, such as urban forests, has become one of the most relevant tools to mitigate some of the negative impacts of urbanization while providing multiple benefits to city dwellers. However, these peri-urban forests are often highly contested spaces. Agroforestry offers a promising solution to reconcile diverging interests in the peri-urban context. In this study, we look at the Maâmora cork oak forest in Morocco, which exemplifies some of the challenges faced by large-scale green infrastructures that become enmeshed in rapid urbanization. We explore these dynamics and (1) map how local residents perceive a peri-urban agroforest, (2) characterize groups of residents according to their perceptions, and (3) disentangle preferences for the development of green infrastructure. To do this, we conducted 278 participatory mapping interviews in three urban and three rural settlements around Maâmora, mapping urban and rural residents’ uses, values, disvalues, and development preferences. Our results show how urban agroforestry could reconcile multiple demands in peri-urban green spaces. However, our analysis reveals contrasting development preferences between rural and urban residents and points to a growing disconnection from nature among urban dwellers, which risks marginalizing diverse perspectives from those residents more closely connected to the landscape. Our analysis also highlights the importance of exploring disvalues for a better recognition of the plural values of nature and to identify potential conflicts in the context of urban and rural planning.