- A Sub-Region with peri-urban Characteristics or the Emergence of a sustainable and alternative medium-sized City?   click here to open paper content154 kb
by    Estevens, Ana & Barroqueiro, Mário & Marques da Costa, Eduarda | barroqueiro@fl.ul.pt   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
Faro – the emergence of a alternative medium-sized city
Abstract
Considering the existing regional disparities on regional development and the contradictory spatial effects of regional policies, the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) seeks to achieve balanced development across the EU territory. According in its typology, the European space can be divided in five categories: regions dominated by a large metropolis; polycentric regions with high urban and rural densities; polycentric regions with high urban densities; networks of medium and small towns; and remote rural areas. Such a typology gives a general view of urban-rural settlement patterns, which we intend to apply in our Portuguese case study.
In what regards the territorial dynamics of mainland Portugal, despite the continuing tendency towards increasing macrocephaly by the Lisbon and Oporto metropolitan areas, the phenomenon of “coastalisation” has brought about an increase in the importance of Algarve’s southern coastal area. Over the past few years, the occupation of this particular territory has become increasingly less seasonal – unlike what used to be the case in the past, due to the overwhelming importance of the summertime “sea, sun and sand” tourist industry – and it has increasingly staked its claim as an alternative for those who wish to flee the excessive and rather chaotic densification of the Lisbon and Oporto metropolitan areas.
By means of a typology of urban-rural relations (based on the expansion of both the employment catchment areas and the residential areas, their respective impacts and the conservation of the natural heritage), this paper seeks to present these relations in the context of this particular sub-region, while putting forth a series of policy measures and recommendations that are conducive to this territory becoming an attractive and sustainable alternative to the current metropolitan areas. The urban-rural relations in this sub-region centred in Faro – an intermediate medium-sized city, due to its specialisation in international tourism – enable us to foresee several problems in terms of the management of this area in the future, unless some structuring measures are taken.
Keywords
medium-sized cities, urban-rural relations, sustainable alternatives
click here to open paper content  Click to open the full paper as pdf document
click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper  Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper