Assessment tools for urban sustainability policies in Spanish Mediterranean tourist areas

Abstract

Spanish Mediterranean tourist cities have traditionally been developed under compact urban patterns, following pre-existing urban forms. However, during the last two decades, the transformation of these areas has challenged the original character of Mediterranean cities, replacing it with urban sprawl growth patterns; functional specialization areas derived from tourist and leisure economic activities; and the creation of new private open spaces. Assessing the current status of these urban tourist areas is crucial to developing the necessary strategies for their renovation and future transformation into sustainable and liveable cities and territories. The objective of this research is to design a specific tool to assess Spanish Mediterranean tourist cities that considers their urban singularities. For this purpose, existing urban sustainability indicator systems were selected and reviewed. Due to the thematic gaps and inaccuracies found in these systems when applied to urban tourist areas, several indicators were tailored and a new set of indicators was included for their assessment. The new tool comprises twenty-seven urban descriptors including: pre-existing parameters; tailored indicators; and a new set of descriptors to reflect the specific features of Spanish Mediterranean tourist cities. They are grouped into eight approaches that provide in-depth analysis of the three singular urban attributes of these areas: land occupation; complexity of economic activities; and outdoor spaces.