Green Infrastructure in Mediterranean Valencian Coast

Abstract

During the period 1997-2007, it was produced in the Spanish Mediterranean coast a large urban sprawl. Partly caused by the increase in economic activity and population and partly caused by the increase of 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 urban develop initiatives, programmed and planned, which have not been implemented. In the case of Valencia, on the ground already developed but not yet consolidated the building, you can build up to 125,000 homes. From 2007, because of the huge excess of houses supply, construction and all the new developments in the Valencian coast are paralyzed. Paradoxically, the security crisis in the Arab Mediterranean countries, has resulted in the growth of tourism in the Spanish Mediterranean coast and particularly in Valencia. But this situation can be temporary. Therefore, at present, a change arises in the model of tourism in order to achieve a quality of landscape and tourism services and to avoid a mass tourism. At present, in 2015, regional government promotes 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.