Breakdown in sustainability in Aljarafe County (Seville). The dialectics of olive groves versus urbanisation.

Abstract

In recent decades, many rural areas, including the Aljarafe County (Seville), have been marked by intense and unsustainable urban growth. This paper aims to show that the Aljarafe is a perfect example of unsustainable territoriality caused by intense growth. Data on Aljarafe's ecological footprint is used as unsustainability indicators. Land use changes, in particular the shift in land use from rural to urban use, and the changes introduced into traditional olive farms have been analysed as factors affecting unsustainability.