Mapping Territorial Attractiveness Using a Multidimensional Index: Findings on the Phenomenon of Littoralization in Spain

Lidia Bonilla, Universidad de Salamanca
Alberto Del Rey Poveda, University of Salamanca

The term “territorial attractiveness” has recently emerged in the literature as a fundamental concept that allows a better comprehension of depopulation processes, understanding that a territory is attractive when it possesses certain characteristics that contribute to attract and retain population in it. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyze the phenomenon of depopulation in Spain based on the construction of a Multidimensional Attractiveness Index for the 8131 Spanish municipalities. The Index, composed of a total of 41 variables and 7 dimensions, has been constructed following the Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto Method (AMPI) using municipal data extracted from official sources. The results provided demonstrate that the processes of demographic concentration and depopulation are not exclusively an urban-rural matter, but are also affected by other factors, such as the proximity to the coast. In fact, this paper shows evidence of the presence of a littoralization phenomenon in Spain, visible through the higher levels of attractiveness of coastal municipalities compared to inland ones.

Keywords: Spatial Demography, Internal Migration and Urbanization, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Data and Methods

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