THE PROBLEMS OF THE UNBALANCED URBAN

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

THE REGION OF ARAGON:

Spanish Group

June 14th 2012

INDEX1.- Summary of Planning System (interaction of National, Regional, Local).2.- Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in logistical system.3.- Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in mobility and accessibility.4.- Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in rural areas in North Aragon.5.- Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in rural areas in South Aragon.

1.- PLANNING SYSTEM. SWOT ANALYSE

INTRODUCTION

Spanish Planning System has been developed during the 20th century and it has changed considerably in the last thirty years.

Until 1978 the State has complete authority on urban and regional planning and it was in charge of legislation and planning through two instruments: The Land Laws and several Plans (National Plans, Territorial Coordination Plans and General Urban Plans).

In 1978, the Spanish Constitution gives the Autonomous Communities the possibility to assume competences in urban and regional planning. Throughout these thirty years they have been taking these responsibilities up to now when the State hasn’t competence in territorial planning, only in works of general interest such us ports or airports whereas the Autonomous Communities regulate the planning system. In order to do that, they have developed their own laws and regional planning politics.

Therefore, in Spain the State doesn’t take part in regional planning and it don’t exist territorial national plans but it participates in some sectorial issues that have a significant effect such us hydrology planning or coasts.

In the particular case of Aragon, in 1998 the Regional Government approved the Strategies from 1998 Law that make up the framework to develop and implement territorial politics and regional planning which principal pillars have been industrial logistical policy.

15 years later, regional planning must be adapted according to European Spatial Development Perspective and it’s necessary to adopt new strategies. Because of that, the Regional Government decided to draw up the Strategic Territorial Act of Aragon.

In addition to these Strategies there are other Partial Guidelines like the ones of the Pyrenees, which develops the regional planning scheme of this area.

In a lower level, local authorities create their own local planning ordinances and General Urban Planning Schemes for their municipalities. With these instruments they propose the town/city model that must be close and according to the sustainable development requirements going for the regeneration of the existing city.

Therefore, there are Plans and Programs either their extension or their features go beyond the municipal sphere, such us big infrastructures, equipments, industrial activities, special important services or the implementation of public dwelling politics, and, therefore, are competence of the regional authority that could rely on the local authorities participation.

Finally, there are also Partial Plans like the Natural Resources Regulation Plans, which prevail over the General Urban Planning Schemes and have to be respected.

In conclusion, in Spain, the Autonomous Communities have competence in regional planning and they develop its legislation and implementation. In Aragon, the Strategies from 1998 Law set up a regional planning scheme, which is develop through Partial Guidelines (these Guidelines could be about a specific area or an activity with influence in the territory: infrastructures, equipment, natural spaces…)

SWOT

WEAKNESSES

The non-existence of a national planning, which makes up the framework for regional planning, causes a lack of unity in the different territorial policies that are developed in different regions of the country. As each region develops its own planning without bearing other regions’ planning in mind, sometimes conflicts appear between bordering regions.

The lack of coordination between different regional authorities/administrations causes ignorance of the actions that each level is promoting and the trouble of getting a good effect of the planning instruments. In that way, the Strategies didn’t manage to coordinate the action guidelines of each department.

The short precision of the Strategies content has complicated its implementation since their orders were too generals. In addition to that, they didn’t hierarchy the application of some policy like reinforce of municipalities through equipment.

The Strategies didn’t manage to conduct an economic policy neither improve the economic balance development.

This regional planning instrument hasn’t got a link with local planning.

WEAKNESSES

The poor influence of the Strategies in territorial cohesion could call into question the validity and efficiency of regional planning.

The lack of coordination between administrations makes difficult to get a complete and adequate regional planning and its proper implementation.

STRENGHTS

The Strategies’ approval suppose an inflexion point in Aragon regional planning since for the first time a regional planning scheme is formulated and approved. Furthermore, from this scheme other Partial Strategies have been developed for some areas.

The document has a long memory where main territorial aspects of the region are analysed with detail: European framework, environment, population, city and community equipment system, infrastructures, economic activities and cultural heritage, including the main aspects that have to be consider in each case.

The Strategies have worked out in some partial issues. It’s the case of Saragosse Logistic Platform or the airport of this city, which creation and promotion have meant an impulse of the economic activity and managed to place the region and its capital in an international position.

OPPORTUNITIES

At the light of what happened during these 15 years, the revision of this document is the opportunity to correct the errors and draw up a new instrument that achieve setting up a good territorial and economic development policy and helps improving the territorial cohesion of Aragon.

Take advantage of PLAZA Logistic Platform to reinforce the place/role of Saragosse, promote the economic development and improve the territorial cohesion.

2.- STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN RURAL AREAS IN IN LOGISTICAL SYSTEM.

SWOT intends to give an overview of the opportunities and threats, obtained from the analysis of the environment and the strengths and weaknesses that the infrastructure of Aragon offered to the business regarding national and international logistics, all of which are divided into four quadrants to allow direct visualization.In the external analysis, the environment, we will study the opportunities and threats.

OPPORTUNITIES

One of the greatest opportunities Aragón has is the Central Crossing by Pyrenees, the realization of this project would be a huge potential development for the rail and would help to have full cohesion with the rest of Europe as a logistics centre, in order to expand beyond our national borders, and having put on the European Union for its great future reference as far as freight is concerned.

Another opportunity is the strategic location of Aragon in Spain as a whole because it is adjacent to the communities where the economic potential of the country and internationally is greater, as a limit in the peninsula border with the rest of European Union countries by land. Aragon is a community easily accessible, conveniently located halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia, between the Cantabrian and the Mediterranean Sea, and all over Europe.

The Preferred Trading of Aragon is with the European Union, because the largest merchandise trade that takes place in Aragon, around 80%, takes place between the EU- 27.

Environmental regulation is another opportunity, because the government in every country is driving the introduction of new emission control protocols that make railway transport a more attractive alternative for achieving the objectives.

Increased world trade. The growing trade between countries will lead to greater use of logistics activities and an increase in international trade relations.

THREATS

One of the threats affecting the territory of Aragon is the territorial dispersion. Aragon has a high concentration of population around the main urban centers (1.8% of the municipalities account 68% of the population). In contrast, 91.5% of the Aragonese municipalities have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.

The economic weight of Aragon in Spain. The Aragonese economy represents 3% of the country. The most significant degree of capital around us (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao) may hinder the development of infrastructure in the Community.

0 2 4 6 8 10

Housing

Transport Equipment

Other Private Construction

Machinery and Equipment

Public Infraestructure

Population

Occupied

Gross Domestic Product

Surface

Serie 1

Serie 1

The current level of development of freight transport is necessary to introduce it as a threat, since there is a need to connect the road and rail infrastructure with other national or international routes.

The low use of rail transport is another threat in Aragon, due to their lack of flexibility in the mixed train operation and the insufficient number of lines today.

The rail connection infrastructure. Aragon has sufficient infrastructure to meet the current demand for rail transport, but claimed the lack of direct connection to the main lines of the country to avoid problems of access to terminals.

There is the problem of interoperability and operational, by the modifications to be performed at border crossings for communication with the adjacent countries.

Prioritization of rail passengers from goods. Currently, transport of goods is subject to passenger rail corridors, which means high freight transit times to the detriment of passengers.

As for internal analysis, we see the strengths and weaknesses of Aragon provide infrastructure to the business.

STRENGTHS

Strengths are, first, the large amount of land available for development of new projects. Because of low population density in the region, there is a lot of land available for development of new infrastructure.

Promotion of Research and Development. For the Government of Aragon there is a strong commitment to the empowerment of help and resources for research and development.

The institutional support and involvement. The regional government is present in most initiatives to boost logistics in Aragon to provide support.

The infrastructure is constantly expanding depending on the needs. The existence of certain plants whose growth is driven by the needs of their users and their requests, making centers are formed as the client demands. That is, Aragon has not only an infrastructure capable of increasing its activity, but for increase in a demand-driven.

Aragon has the largest logistics platform in Southern Europe. Logistics Platform of Zaragoza (PLAZA) is the largest platform extension in southern Europe, with potential to become the benchmark for logistics in the area. The Huesca Logistics Platform (PLHUS) and Teruel Logistics Platform (PLATEA) intend to follow in the PLAZA footsteps, without actually achieving it.

Also, there are connected intermodal logistics platforms in provincial capitals. The three provincial capitals, Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel have developed areas of logistics activities and opportunities for road-rail connection in

most of them.

Aragon has road connection (highways and toll roads) with main Spanish cities, which concentrates most of commodity exchange.

Zaragoza Airport has experienced in the last years more growth in freight transport. Even the airport has consolidated as regards the state level as a distributor of goods with significant investments in recent years to double its annual capacity.

Finally, the capacity and technological potential. Technology centres, universities and research centres in general within the region of Aragon encourage development in research and development pointer for applications in logistics and transport. Technologies such as RFID, data capture by dynamical systems or geographical positioning systems, are developed specifically for each company or logistics infrastructure in the various research centres of Aragon.

WEAKNESSES

Too much logistical infrastructure provision against demand. This factor is presented as a short-term weakness, but strength as a medium to long term, the chances of capturing demand in the environment of the area of influence of the autonomous community of Aragon.

On the other hand, present knowledge on intermodality. There is the difficulty of changing the transport mode due to the lack of other modes or even lack of empowerment of intermodal solutions coexisting with the road.

Another weakness is rooted in the mode of operation. There is an important root in consolidated operating mode for each type of company that prevents the implementation of solutions that can seem risky.

The degree of intermodality development motivated mainly because it is an inner region and therefore lack of seaports, as well as the need to connect the road and rail infrastructure in the process of completion or bonding with other national or international routes.

The power of decision-business logistics out of Aragon. This is because a high percentage of logistics companies established in the Community have their headquarters outside our borders.

The lack of construction of certain infrastructure. Several aspects, such as the current economic climate, have made that the construction of certain infrastructure planned have not been carried out. These connections are of great importance for the development of logistics in Aragon.

The lack of consolidation of existing platforms. Although main logistics platforms in Aragon are in a good degree of development, there are still many near closing.

Finally, there are weaknesses and opportunities, multiple uses of platforms. In some of the logistics platforms have been created areas which are used beyond logistics activity.

3.- STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS BETWEEN MOBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.

STRENGTHS

Aragon has a strategic location between main transport routes across Spain: Madrid-Barcelona, Atlantic-Mediterrranean corridor, connection to France. The most important characteristic is the location.

The geographic situation: Aragon is situated in the most industrialized quadrant of Spain. This means it is less than 2 hours and 30 minutes from the cities that produce 60% of Spanish GDP and has 25 million consumers.

It connects the most important logistics, industrial and demographic centres of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as some of the most active European commercial ports. It provides a link between North Africa and Europe.

Map of main infraestructures of train.

The airport of Saragossa is a well equipped airport in aeronautical infrastructures with very low congestion, which has made possible to achieve an important place in the cargo transport. In 2011 48,647 tonnes of cargo were moved, 14.3% more than in 2010, with a clear dominance of textile products, representing 49% of transported goods.

WEAKNESSES

The lack of efficiency of rail transport is perceived as a problem, especially in the Spain-France connection. Currently, the main problem concerns railway transport between Spain and France.

The lack of efficiency in secondary connections: Nowadays, plans of infrastructure are designed to grand international connections. You can travel to most of the largest Spanish towns by train within hours. Investment in secondary

connections will also be important in the context of an integrated regional transport and communications strategy covering urban and rural areas, in order to ensure that the regions benefit from the opportunities created by the major networks.

The lack of a comprehensive global idea of the specific characteristics for each city: Metropolitan area of Zaragoza has 800.000 people, but Huesca and Teruel have 50.000 and 30.000 person respectively.

This is the failure reason for the logistics platforms, as PLATEA (South Aragon) and PLHUS (North of Aragon), with low occupation level.

OPPORTUNITIES

The Trans-Pyrenean corridor by railway across Irun and Portbou are nearby the limit of saturation. One of the most favorable solutions consists on the construction of a new railway link of high capacity across the Central Pyrenees.

The Central Corridor of the Pyrenees represents the 16th project of Trans- European transport networks in order of priority. The studies show the impact on logistic and industries on two dimensions: a regional one on both sides of Pyrenees, and a trans-Pyrenean European one of large territory (from Portugal to North Europe).

Change of planning model strategies and territorial policies: Because transportation projects have long effects it is necessary the evaluation of costs and benefits. The aim of the procedure is a benefit/cost ratio that compares the total expected benefits with the total predicted costs.

This would include considering the robustness of the predictions of cost and benefits, and various scenarios. This model is useful to determine the feasibility of project from an economic standpoint.

THREATS

The public sector has paid the development of transportation systems. Government policies have strongly influenced the national planning or regional planning. Now, Public sector can´t pay new infrastructures, the alternative is private financing.

Public-private partnerships and completely private solutions are one set of solutions. Several models are already well tested:

BOT (Build- Operate- Transfer), where the private sector builds and operates a facility or system for a period of time, but then transfers it back to goverment after a period;

- BLT ( Build-Lease-Transfer), it is leased for a period for operation.; - ROT (Rehabilitate- Operate- Transfer)

4.- STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN RURAL AREAS IN NORTH

ARAGON.

For this SWOT analysis of territorial cohesion in rural areas in North Aragon, really meaning the Pyrenees area, five points have been chosen, those involved in people’s quality of life:- Scene, environment. - Population and accommodation.- Resources.- Equipment and services. - Mobility and Infrastructures.

WEAKNESSES:

The first thing we realize regarding Pyrenees is the border character respect to France, without real exchange and geographical isolation with difficult structuration: very little equipment, services or infrastructures. Also works as border with other regions and between valleys.

Mountain ecosystems are fragile environments, especially sensible to any alteration. Natura 2000 Net regulation preserves every space creating specific restrictions to certain activities incompatible with preservation objectives. There is a biodiversity loss hazard due to habitats modifications.

Lack of dumping control and treatment, and great tourists influence, focused in fixed areas during summer time, can generate river pollution and an important waste growth, mostly in summer.

The Historical Heritage estate of neglect, ruined state of some houses and uninhabited buildings gives a negative façade to this landscape.

The most outstanding feature related with demography is the depopulation tendency since last century beginnings. People have moved from country to town, leaving old people there. Population density is so low (6.95p/sqm, not getting to 1,10 p/sqm in certain municipalities). Distribution by sex is more masculine, especially between 25-54 years.

Employment is a big problem in these areas. There are little training possibilities for population in employment age. This generates high structural unemployment levels, affecting especially young people and women. It is difficult to create new productive spaces and attract investments and new economical activities to municipalities. Lack of enterprising character.

Primary sector: Little agrarian workers professionalization, small productivity in most of the exploitations. Farms and food industries are very small and separated one from the other, loosing competitiveness.

Secondary Sector: Building Sector has declined, leaving a high unemployment rate. There is no industrial development apart from one or two municipalities. Electrical factories are obsolete and inefficient. There is not enough investment in alternative energies.

Tertiary Sector: Little development in services sector and touristic subsector. It is only important in few certain valleys dedicated to sky, but it is not benefiting the whole region. It cannot compensate employment looses on agrarian and building sector.

There is a great amount of uninhabited buildings and villages, while it is usual to have a house in the country as second house, usually in big villages related with

winter sports. This creates a lot of extra seasonal population wasting services in the municipalities, but not living and working there.

There is a great amount of resources without management.

A great percentage of people still work in agrarian sector (13%) but agrarian activity is being abandoned because there is no young generation taking over. This may cause environmental problems, due to a combustible material excess in the forest, increasing risk of fire; or loses in traditional landscape and fields traditionally used for cattle and crops, now useless, increasing flooding risk.

During second part of XX century, a lot of reservoirs have been built in order to supply cities with water and electricity. Due to these actions a lot of people had to leave their houses and lives in a traumatic way, leaving the villages. This war and tension between country and town is still happening. People in rural areas lose a lot without getting anything.

Nowadays no one is doing forest work to protect species. Forest resources are being exhausted by people from other regions and countries who don’t respect species natural cycles, or continuity in the area. Fauna and flora are in tourists hands.

Renewable energy is not used as much as it would be, apart from hydro electrical centrals, and they really generate a great environmental impact.

Due to aging population, depopulation and unemployment, municipalities’ income is usually very small, limiting local council possibilities when doing public works, maintenance and services. This affects the possible activity attraction and maintenance. There is a strong need to support any economic activity or urban process in order to improve income level. Local council capacity is very poor, when speaking in economic and technical terms, to face compulsory services, conservation and heritage resources managing. There is no master plan in many municipalities, and most of them are not involved in Agenda 21 projects.

Road links are very weak due to territory characteristics. Basic road net is difficult to maintain, conditioning population mobility and their access to basic services. This creates still more organization difficulties for small municipalities, that have very low capacity to keep in service and improve public infrastructures, above all in areas where environment is very important and there are a lot of highly restrictive regulations.

Mobility is mainly based on private transport, as public transport is so limited or non-existent.

New technologies are being introduced very slowly and delayed.

THREATS:

There is a lack of resources for interregional and international synergies improvement or creation.

There are a lot of problems linked to agrarian and stockbreeding activity intensification, transport, energy or water infrastructure development, and also industrial and urban development, affecting local services, contributing to damage the level of conservation in many places, as there are not many master plans managing the development.

There are also environmental problems linked to tourism activity: Tourism can produce environmental damages if not managed in order to keep site conservation objectives. Adventure sports are increasing massively, taking a lot of tourists to nature and risking affecting in an irreversible way the river ecosystems and the species living there. There is a lack of resources to manage correctly the amount of tourists coming into the area, increasing damage to tourism resource and to its quality. Seasonal tourism increase creates problems related with dumping and waste growth, making it difficult to dimension infrastructures.

A lot of abandoned villages and ethnographic, architectonic and cultural heritage, as well as monuments are damaged. This is a very bad signal for local identity.

The rise of the aging rate is a great danger for rural cores due to low birthrate and migration, to urban cores, especially people in working ages.

Other rural and urban population centers hold attraction, showing more economic diversification. Annual per capita income in rural areas is lower than in urban centers. There are not many working opportunities for young people in rural areas. Workers have a very low specialization level and young people with higher levels migrate.

There is not much sensitization with environmental problems and there are anticonservacionist stances between population. It is difficult to attract external productive investments in rural municipalities. There is a hard competition with

exploitations situated in better business sites.

Traditional trade is disappearing because it cannot compete with bigger shopping centers in nearest urban centers.

Traditional rural cores are vulnerable to external massive house planning.

There is a lack of Natural Resources Ordination Plan in nearly the whole region.

Primary sector is losing importance inside local and regional economy due to the exploitations low profitability, which generate progressive lose in agrarian income. Agrarian activity is abandoned because there is no young generation taking over, continuing the aging and depopulation process and deteriorating economic situation, abandoning exploitations and leading to environmental changes. There is also global climate change hazard. We have to add that European PAC aids for agrarian sector will finished in 2013.

Global climate change would affect reservoirs levels and subsoil resources, generating problems between farmers and urban needs.

There is very little forest suitable resource planning or management, so there is a risk of losing species and increasing fire risk, above all in Summer due to Summer storms and helped by a big amount of forest biomass not used at the moment.

The development of certain renewable energies can cause damages if there are not appropriate management plans, especially if they don’t care about site conservation objectives.

There is an imbalance between offered services and population demands, above all for old people. There are no economic resources to render services and equipment to the whole population.

There are shadow areas in telecommunications coverage.

Railway transportations are losing importance; there is a high dependence on private transport, because public transport is limited.

There is a loss of private investments due to a lack of basic infrastructures and institutional support. The cost of investments is usually higher due to regulation and the use of specific traditional and natural materials. In certain places the attraction of traffic from other regions in certain seasons, such as weekends or summer, is creating environmental damages when improving infrastructures and services. Due to climate change and fashion, snow sector is losing capacity of attraction and competitiveness.

There are natural risks related with adverse climatology, such as lack of communication due to snowfalls, frozen roads, avalanches, flooding….

STRENTGHS:

It is being useful taking similar measures as the ones taken in neighboring areas to solve specific problems. As well as working together with border regions.

As part of Natura 2000 net, Pyrenees have the biggest amount of natural and biodiversity heritage in Spain and can contribute to conservation and restoration if sector policies and conservation actions are ruled, organized and coordinated in proper Management Plans.

There are unique and high quality natural, cultural and ethnographic values that turn it into an attractive rural tourist destiny.

People living in these rural areas have a huge belonging and identification feeling. Population tendency last decade has changed and has started a very slow growth. Anyway, low population density produces a smaller environmental impact than bigger cores. Tourists’ impact is important in specific dates.

Service sector is increasing its prominence; its occupation rate is 70% of employment, especially linked with snow in certain valleys. This will improve basic, economic and social community services, and will serve to create proper ambience for private investments and ideas, in order to improve life quality.

Seasonal population increases during certain seasons, so many high quality houses has been built lately and they were built with respect for the environment.

There is a big amount of high quality raw materials and ecological products, which generate light canning and packaging industry, as well as a high quality range of products included as Protected Designation of Origin.

Agriculture and stockbreeding sector is still important related to employment generation. Traditional extensive stockbreeding is well preserved and can still be used and profited, in association with food quality, ecological production and important opportunities for commercialization. Grass and forest management and treatment by cattle is vital to prevent fire risk.

There are lots of important water resources, high quality water springs, underexploited aquifers and river ecologic quality is still good. They can be used to

commercialization, irrigation and renewable energies

Forestry property is mostly public, what makes it easy to plan. There is a great variety of forest systems, with a great natural, ecological and landscape importance, they mean a lot of forest resources to elaborate artisan products from rural areas (hunting products, mushrooms, truffles, woods, ….).

It is necessary to fixe new Master Plans combining tourist and service sector with natural environment protection.

Connection improvement with other regions, such as Navarra and Catalonia or France and the rest of Europe through more roads and railways (Now just roads connect France and Spain via Aragon), is needed and possible,.

Internet is improving communication and job possibilities in these rural areas.

OPPORTUNITIES:

The situation as border with other regions and countries is a privilege position to improve exchanges and cooperation.

There is a possibility to create employment and economic activity related to conservation, restoration and management of rural areas. It would be an opportunity in the future for the people living in these areas to be paid for environmental services, employment linked with natural environment conservation. It would be necessary to elaborate and execute master and ordination plans for natural and forest resources.

Green, cultural and ethnographical tourism must be promoted as an important economic focus for rural area.

Specific area plans must be developed to mitigate the problems caused by demographic standstill, using specific and different policies on sustainable rural development, to improve social development and basic services offer. Rural area is being revaluated as residential site, with more quality of life and more employment opportunities, seasonal and normal population can settle down definitively.

A possible new employment is possibly linked to necessary environmental conservation objectives.

It is necessary to promote traditional trade in order to supply basic products to rural population so they don’t have to move to the city.

Tourist sector development will help to dynamize employment and increase attraction to the area. Educational programs can help teaching environmental values to different kind of people.

Promoting rural tourism, trade schools and youth hostels in cultural and ethnographic interesting buildings is a way of keeping them alive.

Promoting vernacular products associated with culture, gastronomy, heritage, nature, sports and adventure from production to trade, as well as teaching technique and knowledge. Agrarian food and artisan products demand is increasing; trade mark and Protected Designation of Origin mark, as well as ecological production are helping settle down an economic base and the spreading out of regional limits. New industry is being created around water resources, links with food sector, health, energy….Vernacular forest products promotion is also taking place, as product and as activity.

Renewable energies are going to be a new source of funding for municipalities.

New Rural Area Master Plans are developed to insist on the ways different economic sectors are important for the municipality and the area, and how they can help to economically support necessary infrastructure and equipments to carry out works and provisions in small municipalities.

Future road and rail axes will improve communication between regions and countries, as well as between valleys.

5.- STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN RURAL AREAS IN SOUTH ARAGON.

DEPOPULATION IN THE PROVINCE OF TERUEL

The population loss process is not new, in the last 50 years, Soria lost nearly 42% of its inhabitants, Teruel near Zamora 39% and 37% and Cuenca. It is true that in the years of economic boom and the surge of immigration in this decade was slightly corrected, but the current crisis does not bode well for the trend of depopulation since economic factors act very directly in this process. In the affected areas a vicious circle whereby administration and enterprises must weigh the low profitability of the investments needed to stimulate the creation and maintenance of infrastructure and essential services in sparsely populated areas and, in turn, gives them the lack of lead to increased abandonment and emigration of the population that suffers. This produces an aging population, a loss of the contribution of higher skilled and more dynamic than those who migrate first and, ultimately, loss of cultural traditions of an area. As for health, education or industry, all kinds of problems due to lack of essential structures, which are aggravated in the case of neighboring provinces to much more populated, as is the case of Cuenca and Madrid. Moreover, there is the paradox that, by measuring the wealth of an area by GDP per capita and drastically reduced the number of these may seem to areas suffering from depopulation have achieved an economic upturn, when the reality is the opposite.

It is hoped that the creation of new infrastructure in the province of Cuenca, such as the AVE and the new road will help to slow the process, joining the influence it had at the time of creation, capital Cuenca, a headquarters University of Castilla-La Mancha. However, unless specific measures are taken in rural areas, it may drop migration have been remedied in urban centers but are reinforced in small rural communities. This is something that probably will take into account the authorities of Castilla-La Mancha committed to stop the depopulation of their territory.

The aim is to study the effects of depopulation, the effect of industry in the distribution of the population and the causes that have led to this situation. This will provide multifaceted studies, industry, transportation, infrastructure, education, health and terrain.

Teruel with Soria are the provinces of Spain suffering from depopulation. Severe weather and geography irregular and uneven soils result in low yields.

Traditionally it is a mining and farming community, but the economic and industrial restructuring have affected him badly. Still, energy production remains the main and almost sole industry of the province. Currently trying to retrieve promoting quality agriculture food processing selected, protected by formulas such as the Quality label C, or appellation. Olive Oil from Bajo Aragon, the Peach Calanda and especially the Teruel ham are the products of the province.The Iberian mountains in the south are nevertheless an important tourist resource. Through the rural houses and the claim of skiing (Valdelinares stations and Javalambre) begins to be exploited an area of great beauty and natural interest, following the example of the Pyrenees. Other major tourist attractions are the Land

Motor circuit (a circuit based test Moto GP) and the archaeological museum of Europe's largest dinosaur Dinópolis.

Location province of Teruel in Spain Location in the province capital

Countiesprovince of Teruel Location Teruel province in Europe

Figure 1. Location province of Teruel in Spain

Another important factor in the province of Teruel is its location (Figure 1.), Located in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula in the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain). Bounded on the north by the Province of Zaragoza, united to it by the Iberian and Ebro Depression of the west, with Universal and Sierra Mountains Menera (Iberian System), who exercise the border with Castilla-La Mancha (provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara). To the south and east with the Valencian Community (Valencia and Castellon respectively), where the Iberian extends to the Mediterranean Sea. To the northeast, bordering the province of Catalonia, Tarragona, where the Ports of Beceite serve as a link between the Iberian and Catalan Coastal-Cordillera.

These positive characteristics, coupled with poor communication (only with the existence of a highway that connects Zaragoza and Valencia), transport (railway communication with insufficient), industry, education, make it an interesting place for study population, and that there are places in the province with population

densities comparable to the North Pole (less than 3 per km2).With all these positive and negative aspects of the province are applicable to the development of relevant and significant factors related to the weaknesses, threats, strengths and opportunities in the area.

WEAKNESSES:

Reduced population size.Demographic imbalance.Conformity and lack of initiative.

THREATS:

Lack of immigrants integration.Lack of planning on municipalities growth.Loss of quality of life.Impairment of natural and cultural heritage.Reduced political clout of the city.Limited quality of products and services related to tourism. Excessive specialization in tourism.Loss of competitiveness with other cities.Severe economic crisis.Poor development of industry in uninhabited areas of the province.Poor development of education in the province.Poor health development in the province.

STRENGTHS:

Quality of life of the city.Sociability and familiarity of the population caused by the low population.Proximity of wealth and natural heritage.Rich and diverse cultural heritage.Natural resources and climate.Airport construction Teruel.Development of the tourism sector.Development of the food industry.Establishment of industrial estates as PLATEA.

OPPORTUNITIES:

High surface area without population and undeveloped, especially in the downtown area of the province.Strategic location, situated between major provinces. Environmental wealth of the area.Attracting young people by offering university education.Influx of immigrants.Demanad growth of tourism in the interior.Growth in demand for quality food products.Expansion of renewable energies.Communication infrastructure projects.International events in Valencia and Zaragoza.Changing attitudes of society Teruel.Technological development.