The Increasing Coastal Urbanization in the Mediterranean Environment: The State of the Art in Italy

Abstract

This paper describes the state of the art of urbanization in Italian coastal areas in 2021, both at national and regional level. Moreover, we focused on six coastal municipalities, aiming to evaluate land consumption in relation to population dynamics between 2012 and 2021 and assessing per capita consumed land in each municipality. Finally, an analysis of land consumption in specific areas prone to natural risks along the coastline (hydraulic, landslide and seismic, hazard) was provided. We considered areas of medium hydraulic hazard, of high and very high landslide hazard, and of high and very high seismic hazard. The results indicate an intense process of urbanization in the first 1000 m from the coastline at national, regional, and municipal levels, which is also increasing in the presence of stabilization or dwindling inhabitants. Furthermore, urbanization is also affected by geomorphology, leading to the developments of settlements in the most accessible areas, such as coastal plains, without taking into consideration the presence of natural hazards. The study highlights the importance of monitoring land consumption to the understanding of processes related to urbanization in coastal areas, from the perspective of future effective policies and to support sustainable planning.