Land-market drivers of peri-urban land transformation in Mpingu and Malingunde extension planning areas, Lilongwe District, Malawi
▻https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities/articles/10.3389/frsc.2026.1908997/full
IntroductionPeri-urban land use and land cover change is accelerating across Sub-Saharan Africa, reshaping agrarian landscapes where smallholder farming, settlement expansion, and common resources increasingly compete. This study investigated the drivers of land-use transitions in Mpingu and Malingunde Extension Planning Areas of Lilongwe District, Malawi, two rapidly transforming peri-urban agricultural landscapes.MethodsThe study integrated spatial analysis with household-level econometric evidence. Land use and land cover maps for 2004, 2014, and 2024 were used to assess landscape transformation, while household survey data from 279 farming households captured land scarcity, fragmentation, tenure conditions, and market-related pressures. Land-use transitions were analysed using a (…)