Sustainability of urban heritage. Case study in Altea and La Vila Joiosa (Alicante, Spain)

Abstract

Historical ensembles are urban areas of considerable heritage interest. They are foundational spaces of the city originally intended for habitat. They have represented a paradigm of the notion of the neighborhood, and a benchmark for a sustainable urban, social, and economic model in European Mediterranean culture. The tourism phenomenon can be a valuable tool to boost the economy in these areas, but there is a risk that urban sustainability will end up leading to mere economic exploitation. This research makes a case study on two historical ensembles of the Spanish Levante, representative of Mediterranean urban culture, which are undergoing these processes, Altea and La Vila Joiosa. An analytical methodology has been used based on multidimensional urban sustainability indicators that are more oriented towards the functional and social than the material. The results show convergences with the main studies on this theoretical framework, but also some nuances derived from the economic, social, and cultural particularities of the groups analyzed in terms of population, housing, and uses. The conclusions emphasize the importance of establishing the urban image, relying on citizen rooting, avoiding the privatization of public space, and focusing on sustainable tourism.