A mixture of identities, livelihoods and a heterogeneous landscape characterizes the communities located in the rural-urban frontier. The perception of the inhabitants of these communities regarding environmental and sociocultural change is linked to their livelihoods and land use decisions. We use the case study of the ancient agricultural chinampa system in the Xochimilco wetland of Mexico City to understand the main threats and opportunities for peri-urban agriculture in megacities, where the rapid displacement of agricultural land by formal and informal settlements makes its future uncertain. We used a household survey and semi-structured interviews to understand: 1) the relationship between agriculture and informal urbanization, and 2) the perception of chinampa users, considering those who are engaged in agriculture and those who are not, regarding the factors that favor or limit agriculture. The information from interviews was coded and conceptualized as pull and push factors for peri-urban agriculture. Sociocultural factors were mentioned as the main reasons that push chinampas into agriculture abandonment, such as community erosion due to conflicts and lack of interest from younger generations. However, those that continue to engage in agriculture maintain a historical connection to farming (whether they are from the region or not), and a willingness to adapt to maintain their agricultural livelihood. We find that while some families abandon their agricultural land, new niches become available for migrants from other surrounding rural areas who find opportunities to continue farming in the peri-urban frontier. Our evidence suggests that the loss of peri-urban agriculture is not a linear process towards urbanization, and that the coexistence of housing, agriculture, and livelihood diversification can produce the conditions needed for innovation to encourage peri-urban agriculture.

身份、生计和异质景观的混合是位于城乡边界的社区的特征。这些社区的居民对环境和社会文化变化的看法与他们的生计和土地使用决定有关。我们以古代农业瓷器为例墨西哥城霍奇米尔科湿地的系统，以了解特大城市中城郊农业的主要威胁和机遇，在这些城市，正式和非正式定居点对农业用地的迅速取代使其未来变得不确定。我们通过家庭调查和半结构化访谈来了解：1) 农业与非正规城市化之间的关系，以及 2) chinampa 用户的看法，考虑从事农业的人和不从事农业的人，关于有利于农业的因素或限制农业。来自访谈的信息被编码和概念化为城郊农业的拉动因素。社会文化因素被认为是促使 chinampas 放弃农业的主要原因，例如由于冲突和年轻一代缺乏兴趣导致的社区侵蚀。然而，那些继续从事农业的人与农业（无论他们是否来自该地区）保持着历史联系，并愿意适应以维持他们的农业生计。我们发现，虽然一些家庭放弃了他们的农业用地，但来自其他周边农村地区的移民可以找到新的利基，他们找到了在城郊边境继续耕种的机会。我们的证据表明，城郊农业的丧失并不是城市化的线性过程，住房、农业和生计多样化的共存可以为鼓励城郊农业的创新创造条件。那些继续从事农业的人与农业（无论他们是否来自该地区）保持着历史联系，并愿意适应以维持他们的农业生计。我们发现，虽然一些家庭放弃了他们的农业用地，但来自其他周边农村地区的移民可以找到新的利基，他们找到了在城郊边境继续耕种的机会。我们的证据表明，城郊农业的丧失并不是城市化的线性过程，住房、农业和生计多样化的共存可以为鼓励城郊农业的创新创造条件。那些继续从事农业的人与农业（无论他们是否来自该地区）保持着历史联系，并愿意适应以维持他们的农业生计。我们发现，虽然一些家庭放弃了他们的农业用地，但来自其他周边农村地区的移民可以找到新的利基，他们找到机会在城郊边境继续耕作。我们的证据表明，城郊农业的丧失并不是城市化的线性过程，住房、农业和生计多样化的共存可以为鼓励城郊农业的创新创造条件。我们发现，虽然一些家庭放弃了他们的农业用地，但来自其他周边农村地区的移民可以找到新的利基，他们找到了在城郊边境继续耕种的机会。我们的证据表明，城郊农业的丧失并不是城市化的线性过程，住房、农业和生计多样化的共存可以为鼓励城郊农业的创新创造条件。我们发现，虽然一些家庭放弃了他们的农业用地，但来自其他周边农村地区的移民可以找到新的利基，他们找到了在城郊边境继续耕种的机会。我们的证据表明，城郊农业的丧失并不是城市化的线性过程，住房、农业和生计多样化的共存可以为鼓励城郊农业的创新创造条件。