Naturbanization and sustainability in the National Park of Peneda-Gerês

Abstract

This paper introduces territorial sustainability in general and within European and Portuguese guidelines for planning and action, namely to regulate the urbanization and urban expansion processes. This topic is relevant to discuss the dynamics of urbanization and urban sprawl in rural areas of Northern Portugal integrated in and around the National Park of Peneda- Gerês, the park with the highest classification in the whole country. These dynamics relate to changes that have been re-occurring over the last fifteen years with consequences on shifts in land-use patterns, urban settlements and economic development trends. The analysis, based on the concepts of “naturbanization” and “counterurbanization”, shows some evidence of both processes. One municipality partially comprised within the National Park is selected as case study to be further analyzed, providing deeper insight of the urbanization trends as measured by development control indicators.