As the century has been advancing, the Andalusian cities have been changing from a model of compact city, characteristic of the Mediterranean cities, toward a model of diffuse city that is more characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon pattern. A diffuse city is characterised by the population and employment decentralisation and it drives to the expansion of the urban peripheries, giving origin to the metropolitan areas. In the compact cities the majority of the displacements could be carried out on foot or in public transportation, while in the new metropolitan areas, where the conventional public transportation services don't adapt to the new necessities, a massive use of the private vehicle takes place, causing a high energy consumption, and an important atmospheric and acoustic contamination. In the case of the Metropolitan Area of Granada (AMG) these problems are increased by the importance that the old centre has in the operation of the city. In the present communication the environmental problems that the AMG faces are analysed, as well as the projects that are being carried out to give solution to those problems. Data are also given from other Andalusian metropolitan areas of similar dimensions to that of Granada. These data allow a comparative study of the problems of each one of them to be carried out. For the covering abstract see ITRD E128239.
Abstract