Urban typologies and urban sustainability: A comparative and landscape-based study in the city of Valencia

Abstract

The heterogeneous structure of cities generates critical challenges in the definition and implementation of sustainable urban transitions. This difficulty is intensified by an insufficient understanding of how different urban types perform for distinct sustainability dimensions and indicators. In this study, this knowledge gap is investigated in a highly representative Euro-Mediterranean city (Valencia) through: (1) a landscape-based approach leading to the characterization of urban-landscape types via the combination of three geospatial layers, and (2) the assessment of those urban-landscape types with a comprehensive sustainability index deducted from several international, national, and local indices. Results reveal firstly that urban-landscape types can help us identify areas with common morpho-functional patterns that differ from conventional districts or quarters. Secondly, a comparative analysis of these urban-landscape types reveal that they partially display different sustainability profiles and, consequently, might accommodate distinct policies and plans. Thirdly, the incorporation of spatial, metabolic, and mobility dimensions in the proposed index permits addressing transversal issues affecting environmental, social, and economic sustainability. By linking the form and functioning of the city with its sustainability profiles through a landscape-approach, this study is expected to assist planners and policymakers in the design of sustainability transitions adjusted to the specificities of different urban configurations.