The disappearance of public paths in Spain and its impact on landscape justice

Abstract

The public paths network in Spain constitutes state property in the public domain which is endangered by disappearance or misappropriation. This exploratory article asks how this situation has an impact on the right to the landscape. We provide an overview of the situation of public paths in Spain, as well as examples from six case studies, which reveals that much conflict stems from changes in their use and the practices related to them. Public pathways play a key role in the perception of the territory, and their disappearance entails landscape injustices which we need to distinguish from landscapes of injustice.

Historic public paths in rural areas: engine of development and origin of new conflicts

“…This has been highlighted in previously mentioned studies (Ruiz-Jaramillo et al. , 2021; Torre et al. , 2020).…”

“…Given that such groups have adequate resources, they also have access to legal advice that hampers lawsuits against them for the act of appropriating or closing drovers' roads, rural roads or forest tracks; with all that this entails from the perspective of the exploitation Historic public paths of natural resources. Previous studies also provide evidence of this (Torre et al, 2020;Trujillo, 2019;Campillo, 2013).…”

“…However, we also need to provide solutions to conflicts over uses between different social and economic actors in rural areas. This has been highlighted in previously mentioned studies (Ruiz-Jaramillo et al, 2021;Torre et al, 2020).…”

“…Moreover, this research builds on previous research conducted by the research team (Moscoso-S anchez, 2010, 2020; Federaci on Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada, 2012; Nasarre, 2016;Torre et al, 2020;Trujillo, 2019). It only remains to finalise the mapping and submit the reports to the authorities.…”

“…In the case of historic public paths, the dispute revolves around two symbolic concepts with significant material weight: private interests versus public interests of access and use. This new conflict calls for multidisciplinary studies capable of providing solutions for better resource management by means of an appropriate governance model (Torre et al. , 2020).…”