ABSTRACT
All western countries have experienced important suburbanization and exurbanization processes following the development of mass public transport and widespread car ownership. This can be seen in the landscapes, with commercial strips and shopping centres expanding along the main roads, and housing lots more or less dispersed on the outskirts of the old cities. However if a comparison is made, for example between France and Switzerland, clear differences appear. Outside French cities the ribbon commercial and services development is very clear, with its flashy buildings and coloured advertisements surrounded by parking lots. The bungalows are either aligned along the roads or organised in small lots, giving birth to a M.E.P. ('Moth-Eating' Process; Figure 11.1).
