Greenfield sites:Areas on the edge of
the city which have never been developed in any way. These provide cheap,
unpolluted land, with room for expansion.
Greenbelt: The green belt project in
Barcelona aims at creating a continuous network of agricultural land and
woodland around the city where development is controlled. The main aim is to
prevent urban sprawl.
Changes
Causes
Change at the city edge
Car scrap-yards, fields of caravans, car-racing circuits, petrol stations,
amusement parks, prisons, teleports, campsites, hotel complexes, golf courses,
integrated goods-transport depots, water treatment plants, dumps, all go to make
up today's chaotic metropolitan landscape. It is virtually impossible to
distinguish between the urban and the rural (or non-urbanisable) land (both
visually and legally).
Growth of suburbs, e.g. Sant Just Desvern.
Mature families move for improved housing and a higher quality of life
New shopping malls: e.g. Gran Via 2, taking advantage of an increasing
car-shopping culture
Airport expansion: to cater for increase in flights, particularly for
short-break tourism
High-speed rail link to improve infrastructure
Threats to greenbelt and countryside
High-Tech Park (El Vallθs) and Synchrotron development
Out-of-town shopping centres e.g. Caprabo
Growth of urbanisations (residential estates) to provide for
counter-urbanisation needs
New university and business park (Viladecans
and Castelldefels)
New industrial estates e.g. Sant Boi, Castelldefels
Landfill sites (Garraf Natural Park)
Limestone quarrying (Garraf Natural Park)
Increasing and damaging leisure use (Collserola Park)
