Author(s)

JOSÉ LUIS MIRALLES I GARCIA

Abstract

During the period from 1997 to 2007 on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, a large urban sprawl developed, caused partly by the increase in economic activity and population and partly by the increased tourism on the coast. This expansion produced mass tourism processes at risk of landscape degradation phenomena and end-of-life-cycle of tourism activities, following the guidelines known as the case of La Manga. This expansion also produced many programmed and planned urban development initiatives, which have not been implemented. In the case of Valencia, on the ground, which has already urbanized but not yet built upon, could be built up to 125,000 homes. From 2007, because of the hugely excessive supply of houses, construction and all new developments in the Valencian coast are in a state of paralysis. Paradoxically, the security crisis in the Arab Mediterranean countries has resulted in the growth of tourism on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, particularly in Valencia. This situation could, however, be temporary. Therefore, at present, a change is evident in the model of tourism to achieve a high quality of landscape and tourism services and to avoid mass tourism. At present, in 2015, the regional government is promoting a plan to identify and preserve the green infrastructure of the Valencian coast. It has approved a moratorium on new urban development across the coastal strip to a distance of 500 meters from the sea. This paper explains the approaches, objectives and expected results of this initiative.

Keywords

coastal tourism, green infrastructure, regional planning