Green Coastal Zones: Nodes and connectors as strategy of urban regeneration

Abstract

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.