The issue of landscape in reinventing mature tourist destinations. Málaga and Costa del Sol

Abstract

Many studies about touristic landscape and the recovery of tourist destinations exist nowadays. However, only a few approach the matter considering the architectural project. In this article a revision of the beautification concept is proposed linked to the reinvention of tourist destinations and its substitution for the landscape idea as an instrument for reinventing tourism. Tourism is one of the most important urban and territorial events in the second half of the 20^th Century and a nearly unconsidered subject in architectural discussions. The aim of this research is to analyze the roll of Architecture (Building, Urbanism, Town-planning and Landscaping) in the touristic scope configuration. For this reason, the historically methodology has been followed for the research on both the beautification evolution and the landscape from the last half of the 19^th Century until present. Main conclusions are that the beautification concept is linked to tourist destinations, and also that two moments can be distinguished in the landscape project comprehension concerning tourist destinations: the aesthetical and the environmental points of view. This article intends to resituate the present discussion on regeneration of the mature tourist destinations –from second coast and green infrastructures- within the historical sequence from beautification till landscape reinvention as a strategy to conceive new uses for old territories.