Urban sprawl and its effects on water demand: A case study of Alicante, Spain

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, there has been a significant increase in the urban-residential land area of the provincial coastline of Alicante, Spain. This residential growth has mostly affected municipalities that first saw the arrival of tourism in the 1960s and 1970s but also affects new territories, primarily those slightly set back from the coastline. The aim of this paper is to highlight the consequences of changes in the urbanised land area over time and space on land resources and, indirectly, the relation between new urban typologies and water demand. To this end, this process will be analysed with a focus on such factors as the intensity of the process, the type of urban development and spatial differences in the rate of construction. The methodology used studies the urbanised land area by means of photogrammetric restitution of land uses in 1956, 1978 and 2013 and the development of cartography according to the dominant types of urban development. This data source will be complemented with statistical information pertaining to housing and water consumption.

Regional Management of Areas with Indications of Urban Sprawl in the Surrounding Areas of Universitas Muhammadiyah, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…This research defines the indications of urban sprawl as the outward spreading of urban physical features [Brian, 2016;Morote and Hernandez, 2016]. These indications are part of urban expansion [Oeslati et al, 2015;Dadi et al,2016;Ewing, et al,2017].…”

Causes of Domestic Water Consumption Trends in the City of Alicante: Exploring the Links between the Housing Bubble, the Types of Housing and the Socio-Economic Factors

“…In contrast to the concentrated, high-rise model typified by the building of apartment blocks, residential expansion has primarily been based on the spread of new urban residential low-density types of models (single-family homes with a pool and garden) [13], medium-density (semi-detached houses), and high-rise buildings (apartments), both largely integrated into private developments with a shared garden and a pool [14]. Between 1992 and 2000, a total of 1.2 million homes were built on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with 5 million more built between 2001 and 2011, an increase of 25% [15].…”

Household Smart Water Metering in Spain: Insights from the Experience of Remote Meter Reading in Alicante

“…In the coast of Alicante the urban area in 1978 was 49,904,151 m 2 , while in 2013, it had risen to 221,965,736 m 2 [43]. This real estate boom affects consumption and demand for certain natural resources, including water, especially due to the increased presence of Atlantic plant species (e.g., turf grass) that usually occupy larges area of these spaces [46].…”

“…Thus, as Beal et al [17] argue, smart metering opens the possibility of reconciling the differences between real and perceived water use. Furthermore, Alicante experiences urban sprawl processes with part of the housing stock only occupied in the summer months [41][42][43]. In this sense, the integration of ICT with water meters could solve one of the major problems with partially vacant homes: the high number of failed attempts (with their concurring economic costs) to read meters because people are absent.…”