Green Coastal Zones: Nodes and Connectors as Strategy of Urban Regeneration

[EN] The landscape of Valencian Community is a resource with great cultural and heritage value. The system of Green Infrastructure ensures a continuous network of unbuilt areas with high environmental, cultural and visual value that also serves as ecological and functional connectors. The ERAM research project `Strategies for sustainable regeneration of tourist settlements on the Mediterranean coast¿ (2012¿14) identifies and analyzes the different types of coastal tourist towns of the Valencian region considering their needs for urban regeneration. It proposes strategies for prospective actions that can serve as a model for the regeneration of coastal tourist resorts. The determination of Green Coastal Zones (GCZ) aims to define their potential for urban regeneration in order to establish criteria for regional planning and urban design processes that will foster innovation in mature tourist destinations. The results show the potential of the 11 ERAM areas whose nodal connectivity and multifunctional landscape defines the framework for adaptive design strategies that may present alternative scenarios for touristic settlements.The ERAM research project ‘Strategies for sustainable regeneration of tourist settlements on the Mediterranean coast’ (2012–14) identifies and analyzes the different types of coastal tourist towns of the Valencian region considering their needs for urban regeneration.Tuset Davó, JJ. (2017). Green Coastal Zones: Nodes and Connectors as Strategy of Urban Regeneration. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 12(3):488-497. https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V12-N3-488-497S48849712

Alicante Coastal Management for Sustainable Development

Human intervention on the coast has been intense, due to the source of wealth that the coastal areas represent, especially in the form of tourism, which has resulted in a rapid erosion of its beaches. This paper discusses the current state of beach management in the various competent public administrations on the Costa Blanca (SE Spanish-Mediterranean), in relation to urban development and regression on the waterfront. To this end, an analysis has been carried out of the responses to a survey of those responsible for managing each of the 19 coastal municipalities of the Alicante coast, covering 244 km of coastline, 91 beaches and their personnel. Also, an investigation has been conducted as to whether this management’s aim is to protect the coastline and maintain the flora and fauna or just to manage recreation as the main economic activity is tourism. The analysis shows that the beach is simply regarded as a product or service offered to the user thereof. However, local authorities have not detected problems, possibly for two reasons: they do not have sufficient knowledge and this is understandable, given their lack of responsibilities in this area. This causes many beaches to have a high occupancy rate and there is a shift of users towards natural beaches. The study gives us information about the complex administrative process in the coastal system that often proves ineffective on this narrow strip of land

Sustainable development city-beach in Alicante

[EN] Tourism development in recent decades has involved a large urban development in coastal areas, with different anthropogenic structural interventions on the coast such as the construction of commercial buildings and marinas, which has led to intense erosion and large imbalances in the last century. This situation also affects the city of Alicante, with the area between the port of Alicante and the Huertas Cape, one of the most depressed areas of the city, due to various actions carried out since the 70s, for anthropic example fillers for building marinas, jetties and broken in poor condition because they are made of sandstone, and a bad connection between the two parts of the city. In this work the creation of a new promenade that communicates both zones is proposed, creating new beaches eliminating anthro- pogenic fillings and the remains of breakwaters along the coast, the union of diverse marine area in one marina, and the insertion of an artificial reef multipurpose. With all this it is to improve the attraction of the area, and increase the mobility of the city on the coast.Aragonés, L.; García-Barba, J.; Villacampa, Y.; López, I.; Gómez Martín, ME.; Pagán, J. (2017). Sustainable development city-beach in Alicante. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 12(4):704-712. doi:10.2495/SDP-V12-N4-704-712S70471212