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Socioeconomic and territorial impact of the ski industry in the Spanish Pyrenees: mountain development and leisure induced urbanization

2013; Spanish National Research Council; Issue: 168 Linguagem: Inglês

1988-4281

Teodoro Lasanta Martínez, Oriol Beltrán, Ismael Vaccaro,

Rural development and sustainability

espanolSe evalua el impacto territorial de la actividad del esqui en los Pirineos espanoles (Pirineos Aragoneses y Alto Pirineo Catalan). A partir del analisis de los cambios registrados en la dinamica y estructura demografica y de las practicas economicas, desde la instalacion de las estaciones de esqui, se identifica, en primer lugar, una tendencia urbanizadora emergente y, en segundo lugar, que dicha tendencia se manifiesta en dos modelos diferentes: en el Pirineo aragones se limita a las cabeceras de los valles, mientras que en el Pirineo Catalan se expande a los fondos de valle y cabeceras comarcales. De esta manera, la actividad del esqui contribuye a redefinir las zonas rurales perifericas, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades urbanas. Los pueblos proximos a las estaciones de esqui en Aragon y de los fondos de valle en Cataluna han crecido hasta convertirse en pequenos nucleos de una gran red que expande la influencia fisica, economica y cultural de las ciudades de las tierras bajas hacia las montanas espanolas. EnglishThis article assesses the territorial impact of the ski industry in two areas of the Spanish Pyrenees (Aragon Pyrenees and the Catalan High Pyrenees). By analyzing the changes on demographic dynamics and structure, economic portfolio, and evolution of the built structure of these areas since the construction of the ski resorts, we, firstly, identify a trend towards urbanization emerging in these areas, and secondly, that this trend unfolds in two different models: around the ski resorts at the northern end of valleys in the Aragon study site, and in regional centers at the bottom of the main valleys in the Catalan High Pyrenees. In this fashion the ski industry, which offers seasonal services to a mostly urban clientele, contributes to the redefinition of peripheral rural areas taking into account urban needs. The towns, by the ski resorts in Aragon, and in the bottom of the valleys in Catalonia, have grown to become small nodes of a large network that expands the physical, economic and cultural influence of the low lands cities over the Spanish mountains.