Spatial Development in the European Alps: Topographic Potential Area as a Basic Indicator for Policy Debates

Abstract

The European Alps are characterized by a unique geographical environment. The high altitude and the associated steepness of the slopes pose numerous challenges for spatial development. Furthermore, due to their specific natural characteristics, the Alps constitute a region worthy of preservation, which brings additional considerations in the field of political decision-making. All these facts demand increased political and planning coordination. Debates about spatial development in the Alps, hardly address the regions’ topographic characteristics and their consequences. Based on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) slope analysis, I argue that topographic factors and their implications for municipalities in the Alpine region have been underestimated in spatial development. In this article, an analytical mapping of the Alpine region based on topographic arguments addresses two research questions: What potentials and limits does slope data reveal for the Alps as a living space? How can this analysis help to identify potentials for spatial development in the Alps? I introduce the Topographic Potential Areas (TPA) and an associated TPA quotient, which relates the potential area based on slope steepness to the total area of the municipal territory. These findings serve as a basis for further analyses to facilitate a sustainable spatial organization of the Alpine region.