Assessing Coastal Urban Sprawl and the “Linear City Model” in the Mediterranean – The Corinthian Bay Example

Abstract

AbstractUrban sprawl and tourism urbanization, as prevailing trends in the Mediterranean coast, result in particular forms of ‘linear’ urban development, stretching with deployment of low-density urban fabric along extended areas near the shoreline. The evolving ‘linear city model’ accounts for: land and marine environmental degradation; higher vulnerability to climate change; and unsustainable future pathways of coastal urban constellations. Assessment of this model of urban development in coastal zones can reveal distinct spatial and functional irregularities and properly guide policy remediation action. This work elaborates on the exploration and identification of the “linear city” concept in the Mediterranean by use of a methodological approach that integrates: high-resolution multi-temporal data for built-up areas and their GIS-enabled elaboration; spatial metrics for quantifying morphological as well as spatial peculiarities and qualities of this linear city type; Principal Component and Cluster Analysis, unveiling built environment typologies; and correlation analysis, illuminating functionality weaknesses by linking these typologies with urban variables, e.g. population density, accessibility to transport and urban facilities. Implementation of this approach on a Greek example – Corinthian Bay, Northern Peloponnese – witnesses the discrete spatial typologies and highlights the fragmented and rather unsustainable, in spatial and functional terms, linear urban pattern of this coastal urban area.KeywordsCoastal urban sprawlLinear city modelSpatial metricsSpatial planning and policyMediterranean coast