Speaker
Description
Coastal areas underwent a radical transformation during the twentieth century related to the beach tourism industry. The development of beach tourism in Italy had a significant impact on the gradual transformation of the coastal landscape from elitist to mass tourism between the 1950s and 1960s, leading over time to the recognition of the coast as a major economic driver.
This beach revolution has led to the establishment of tourist and recreational facilities along the coast, changing the dynamic nature of the beach and disrupting the ecological continuity between land and sea. Originally, the beach had a marginal role, mainly used for defence and security, but as beach tourism became established, its function expanded to include economic and recreational uses.
Local governments, to meet the growing demand for beach entrepreneurship, have authoried the construction of brick buildings directly on the beach. This development has led to a linear, discontinuous and sometimes illegal urbanisation, with buildings, hotels and second homes characterised by marked morpho-typological heterogeneity.
In this context, many Italian coastal localities have been transformed into “summer cities,” characterised by a building frenzy that has radically altered the natural landscape, resulting in a continuous urbanisation of coastal areas, with anonymous tourist settlements, the irregular proliferation of hotels and second homes, and the intensive occupation of beaches with often precarious equipment and facilities.
The result is a fragmented coastal landscape of low quality, with houses built on the water. The state property line, which marks the boundary between the maritime domain and the property of third parties, has been eroded in some places, widened by sand accumulations in others, and no longer exists. In some areas, the state property divide has become a mere theoretical line, coinciding with the shoreline. This raises the need to rebuild a public domain, which guarantees access to the coasts for all citizens, also in response to the impacts of climate change, which seem to be getting worse in coastal areas.
This indiscriminate urbanisation has had serious environmental repercussions. The continuous construction of buildings close to the beach has contributed to the degradation of dune landscapes and the loss of natural habitats. Mass tourism has also led to a change in the natural and cultural characteristics of the coasts, which have been transformed into value-extraction assets and merely consumer and economically exploited spaces. At a social level, the intensive occupation of beaches has generated profound inequalities, with the beach becoming an exclusive good, accessible mainly for a fee. The proliferation of beach establishments, which now occupy 43% of Italy's sandy coastline, has reduced the free beach areas, making access to the sea difficult for many citizens. Free beaches have increasingly become marginalised and, in some contexts, relegated to peripheral or inaccessible areas. The situation is particularly critical in some regions, where the occupation of the coast has reached extreme levels. In Campania, as an example, gates and barbed wire have even been installed to prevent public access. This has transformed the beach from a public good into a commodity, reducing its social value and making collective enjoyment difficult.
Today, coastal tourism and the management of beach concessions pose complex challenges, with the Bolkestein Directive offering an opportunity to reverse a trend that has ignored the public nature of the beach. Based on these considerations, the contribution investigates the beach concession as a possible design tool that favours a new management model capable of responding to the demand for free use and guaranteeing the right balance between the different interests at stake to preserve the ecological, social and cultural function of Italian beaches.
| Keywords | seaside tourism; beach concession; Bolkestein |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
