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Protected areas - Cities and FUAs

<p style="text-align: justify;">This dataset provides sub-national indicators on protected areas in FUAs and Cities.</p>

<h3>Data sources and methodology</h3>

<p style="text-align: justify;"> Protected areas are estimated using the World Database on Protected Areas - WDPA (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, 2024), a comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas. It is a joint project between UN Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is managed by UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEPWCMC), in collaboration with governments, non-governmental organisations, academia and industry. Protected areas are classified into 100% terrestrial, coastal: marine and terrestrial, and 100% marine. In this dataset, marine protected areas are excluded. WDPA is used to ensure globally consistent definitions and comparable cross country data, as national datasets vary widely in classification systems and reporting practices. </p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">These estimates may differ from official subnational statistics due to differences in methodological approaches, including the use of global standardised classifications versus national designation systems of natural protected areas, variations in data submission frequency, data validation protocols, and differences in spatial boundaries or mapping accuracy.</p>

<h3>Defining FUAs and cities</h3> <p align="justify">The OECD, in cooperation with the EU, has developed a harmonised <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/oecd-definition-of-cities-and-functional-urban-areas.html">definition of functional urban areas</a> (FUAs) to capture the economic and functional reach of cities based on daily commuting patterns <a href=https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264174108-en>(OECD, 2012)</a>. FUAs consist of: <ol> <li><b>A city</b> – defined by urban centres in the degree of urbanisation, adapted to the closest local administrative units to define a city.</li> <li><b>A commuting zone</b> – including all local areas where at least 15% of employed residents work in the city.</li> </ol> The delineation process includes: <ul> <li>Assigning municipalities surrounded by a single FUA to that FUA.</li> <li>Excluding non-contiguous municipalities.</li> </ul> </p> <p>The correspondence table between SAUs and FUAs/cities is available in <a href=https://webfs-cfe.oecd.org/files/.Stat/cities_local_areas/fua_cities_sau_mapping.parquet>parquet </a> and <a href=https://webfs-cfe.oecd.org/files/.Stat/cities_local_areas/fua_cities_sau_mapping.csv>csv</a> format.</p> <p>The definition identifies 1 272 FUAs and 1 269 cities in all OECD member countries except Costa Rica and four accession countries.</p>

<h3>Cite this dataset</h3> <p>OECD Regions, cities and local areas database (<a href=http://data-explorer.oecd.org/s/1vo >Climate projections by scenario, 2030-2060 – Cities and FUAs</a>), <a href=http://oe.cd/geostats>http://oe.cd/geostats</a></p>

<h3>Further information</h3> <ul> <li> <a href=https://localdataportal.oecd.org/>OECD Local Data Portal </a> </li> <li> <a href=https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-regions-and-cities-at-a-glance-2024_f42db3bf-en.html/>OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance </a> </li> </ul> <p align="justify">For questions and/or comments, please email <a href="mailto:CitiesStat@oecd.org">CitiesStat@oecd.org</a>