Regenerative Routes in the Colonization Villages of the Lower Guadalquivir

Abstract

From a contemporary perspective—one that moves beyond the traditional opposition between city and countryside in favour of a more complex and integrated understanding of territory—urban regeneration cannot be conceived without its landscape dimension, especially in rural areas, where the link between settlements and the natural environment has historically been inseparable. In this context, tourism and the creation of cultural itineraries emerge as agro-urbanism tools for territorial regeneration, not only in terms of heritage conservation but also as means to activate the landscape and strengthen local identity. The work presented in this article proposes a strategic advancement focused on the design of regenerative routes, applied to the area of the colonisation villages in the Lower Guadalquivir region, south of Seville, which were built between the 1950s and 1960s as part of the internal colonisation process promoted under Franco’s regime. From a perspective that integrates regenerative urbanism operations into its application to traditional and peri-urban rural landscapes, the objective is to present a model that, on one hand, responsibly diversifies tourist flows toward areas currently perceived as marginal, and on the other hand, redefines the role of these places within the contemporary territorial system by promoting sustainable development.