Territorial Dynamics of Medium-Sized Cities: Landscape Fragmentation and Inequality in three Southeastern Mexican Cities

Urban expansion in medium-sized cities is reshaping socio-ecological dynamics across Latin America, yet their territorial influence remains understudied. This research analyzes the landscape configuration and socioeconomic conditions surrounding three medium-sized Mexican cities (Xalapa, Oaxaca, and Mérida), using a comparative design with concentric landscape systems (city, Buffer 1, Buffer 2). The results reveal a sharp transition from compact, homogeneous urban cores to highly fragmented peri-urban mosaics dominated by secondary vegetation, grasslands, and agricultural land. Fragmentation remains persistent across the buffer zones, challenging the expectation of a gradual rural–urban gradient. Social variables show that in areas far from the city, where there is less access to basic welfare services, there are urban centers that are offering employment. Taken together, these socio-ecological patterns indicate that medium-sized cities operate as territorial anchors embedded within broader regional systems, in which urban expansion, rural transformation, and uneven development intersect. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for designing territorial policies aligned with sustainable development goals, capable of addressing the effect of landscape fragmentation and fostering more equitable and ecologically coherent forms of metropolitan governance.