The resident and visitor gaze: A comparison of coastal social values at risk due to sea-level rise

Climate change will have a significant impact on coastal locations, affecting visitors’ and residents’ values and experiences. Yet, we know little about the ways visitors value the coast and how they may be affected by climate change impacts. There is a need for place-based studies, where residents and visitors are studied alongside one another to inform more comprehensive and socially-inclusive adaptation strategies. This study sought to understand the lived and landscape values that visitors and residents attribute to the natural reserves and beach of the Llobregat Delta in the densely built-up environment of Barcelona, Spain, as well as their concerns about the impacts of climate change. Results of our survey (n = 133) showed that residents and visitors alike highly valued the natural environment, biodiversity and therapeutic aspects. Residents placed more importance on the biodiversity, safety and sense of identity and pride that the area provides. Visitors were just as likely as residents to be concerned about the effects of climate change on the region. This concern reveals that visitors are key stakeholders with coastal place attachments that need to be integrated into future adaptation research and practice. © 2021 The Author(s)