Urban beaches: A European perspective on the uses, values and futures of urban beaches

Although only 20% of European Union (EU) municipalities are coastal, there is a long tradition dating from at least the eighth century AD of using urban shores as sources of food, places for building and 'beaching' boats, markets and meeting places. However, the industrial revolution was followed by the establishment of coastal towns accessible by railway. Earlier, beginning in the late eighteenth century, the health resort was made popular by upper classes. Beaches today are used in many different ways, the users' behaviour depending in part on the physical nature of the beach itself Most urban beaches are largely anthropogenic features within which the natural features are only the loose sediments. Similarly, the values attributed to beaches vary greatly but represent economic, cultural, historical and social attributes of both individuals and groups. The future of European urban beaches will be affected by national and EU policy strategies, marketing, revitalisation of urban waterfronts and climate and technological change. EU policy, however, has very little emphasis on the urbanised beaches even though they represent the most used part of the European shoreline. Similarly, little attention has been given to the potential for innovative revitalisation or development of the urban beach in contrast to the urban former industrialised waterfront where there has been large-scale redevelopment.