From tourism to metropolization: Analysis of the driving forces of urban transformation along the northern Costa Brava (Catalonia, Spain)

© European Journal of Geography. The driving forces of urban transformation in the northern Costa Brava region of Catalonia, Spain, are analysed in relation to the overall socio-economic changes occurring at the turn of the century, the financialization of the economy, the growth in real estate investment, the urban sprawl, and increases in different types of mobility flow. Through qualitative analysis based on in-depth interviews, the present study determined the impact of tourism and second homes, migratory flows (both at the local, county and regional level and the continental and intercontinental level) and the dynamics of the housing market on the transformation of settlements and the emergence of new urban developments. The simultaneous and interrelated effects of these factors, operating at different territorial levels, affected population growth and the distribution of urban development. As a result, the study area can no longer be considered only as a tourist destination.