Reunaverkot

Reunaverkot is a term that appears in Estonian- and Finnish-language texts to denote networks located at the boundary or periphery of a system. The word is formed from elements meaning edge or boundary (reuna) and network (verk/verkko). Because it is used in different disciplines, reunaverkot does not have a single universal definition; its precise meaning is shaped by the field in which it is used.

In urban planning and geography, reunaverkot often refers to linkages that connect peripheral areas with a city center or core regions. These networks can include transportation routes, economic ties, and social connections that bridge the periphery with more central zones. In ecology, the term may describe networks of habitat patches or ecological corridors that lie along the edge of a landscape and facilitate movement and interaction between core and peripheral habitats. In information technology and telecommunications, it can be used to describe edge networks, which operate near end users or devices and handle data processing outside centralized data centers.

The term is primarily descriptive and comparative rather than a formal, standardized concept. Its usage reflects the perspective of the scholar or practitioner, and translations as “edge network” are common when converting to other languages. Relevant related concepts include edge, boundary, periphery, and network, depending on the context.

See also: edge, network, boundary, periphery, ecological corridor.