Urban Planning and Sustainability in the Cities of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain): Current Challenges

Abstract

The concept of sustainability has recently become a key matter of concern in urban planning, especially in the context of ever-increasing populations in urban spaces, as noted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Sustainable cities and communities”. In this study, we analyze the policies that are shaping the transition toward urban sustainability in the Spanish context. We focus on the evolution of such policies since the end of the last century, from Local Agenda 21 to the current sustainable development strategies. The territorial scope of the study covers the five provincial capitals of the region of Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete, Toledo, Guadalajara, Ciudad Real, and Cuenca). The research question posed herein is: “Have the policies that have been applied made these cities more sustainable?”. The methodology for answering this question is based on bibliographic analysis and analytical analysis, achieved by the qualitative method of interviewing the agents involved in the ISUDS, and conducting an applied analysis of the main actions developed in each of the cities, for which collaboration with the city councils has been key. Synthetic analysis has been used to conduct research using geographic information systems. The key findings relate to the progress made in achieving urban sustainability in these medium-sized cities, and the success of the urban planning process. We identified the following variables in the current ISUDS actions: new uses for unused urban lots, new building construction programs, street rehabilitation, building rehabilitation, and neighborhood regeneration.

1. Introduction

The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2015, were initially proposed as part of a master plan to achieve a sustainable future for all nations. As is well known, the goals are interrelated and cover the global challenges that we are currently facing (such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and the struggle for prosperity, peace, and justice) [1]. However, as some authors have stated [2], the main challenge is to achieve a more integrated approach to sustainable development that embraces new governance frameworks in order to enable and manage systemic transformation. In the quest for global sustainability, the SDGs thus represent the continuation of initiatives such as the Brundtland Report (1986) and, above all, the declarations arising from successive Earth Summits, especially the Rio Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

Against this backdrop, SDG 11, “Sustainable cities and communities”, presents a complex scenario based on the realization that we live in an increasingly urbanized world, one in which, since 2007, more than half of the world’s population has been living in cities, with this proportion expected to increase to 60% by 2030. This development goal [3] states that cities and metropolitan areas are key centers of economic growth, contributing about 60% of the global GDP; however, they also account for about 70% of global carbon emissions and more than 60% of resource use. In parallel to this rapid urbanization, we are witnessing an increase in the number of slum dwellers and the amount of inadequate, overburdened infrastructures and services (such as waste collection, water and sanitation systems, and roads and transport); this increase is worsening air pollution and extending urban sprawl. The 10 targets and 713 actions that make up this goal seek to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, which represents an enormous challenge in some regions of the world. Actions to address urban sustainability cover the following cross-cutting issues: affordable housing; sustainable transport; human settlement planning and management; green and public spaces; supporting positive economic, social, and environmental linkages between urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. The indicators here proposed can be used to measure progress on these targets, including the proportion of the population living in slums, the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate, total and per capita expenditure on the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, the amount of solid waste collected, and the proportion of local governments adopting disaster risk reduction strategies [4].

It is, thus, clear to see that achieving effective sustainability (environmental, economic, and social sustainability) has become an essential course of action in any policy affecting urban spaces, whether they are large conurbations, medium-sized cities, or small towns. However, to reach this point, the road to raising awareness regarding environmental issues has generally been long and difficult. It has been an arduous process in countries such as Spain, where territorial awareness and environmental sensitivity still necessitate a great deal of careful planning. Moreover, the documents that underpin the theoretical approach to the environment and sustainability have not always been accompanied by practices that have minimized the impact of the population on the environment. In the specific context of cities, there have been numerous campaigns, charters, or agreements going back to the Aalborg Charter on Healthy Cities (1994), along with the declarations of the various conferences of the European Healthy Cities Campaign (today known as “Sustainable Cities and Towns”), the Urban Charters, and the Habitat Conferences, all the way up to the SDGs. Along this path, we have gradually stopped talking about the urban environment and instead refer to urban sustainability, while increasingly effective planning tools have been applied, such as Local Agenda 21, which was derived from Chapter 28 of the “Action Plan for the 21st Century”, signed at the Rio Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

At the international level, the New Urban Agenda, adopted by the United Nations at the Habitat III Conference in Quito (2016), is now considered a strategic document—adherence to which is voluntary—that presents urbanization as a powerful tool for achieving sustainable development in both developing and developed countries [5]. Its transposition to Europe (the European Urban Agenda) and to each country (in this case, the Spanish Urban Agenda) contributes to the integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the achievement of the SDGs.

1.1. Europe: Towards More Sustainable Cities

In the European Union (EU), as in other supranational spheres, various different initiatives, strategies, and programs have overlapped and complemented each other, with the main objective of improving the livability of cities, thereby contributing to urban sustainability. Below, we summarize the most important of these that have appeared in recent decades, paying special attention to those focused on the regeneration and improvement of urban spaces [6].

In 2010, the Europe 2020 Strategy was adopted by the EU, with the aim of ensuring growth and employment through the European Structural and Investment Funds. The strategy was based on three mutually reinforcing priorities: smart growth, with an economy based on growth and innovation; sustainable growth, with a resource-efficient, green, and competitive economy; and inclusive growth, promoting economic, social, and territorial cohesion [7]. Linked to that strategy, the 2011 report, “Cities of Tomorrow: challenges, visions, and ways forward” published by the European Commission presented an important reflection on the state of cities in Europe [8], which play a fundamental role as drivers of the economy, creativity, and innovation, as well as service centers. Moreover, their role is key to European territorial development, meaning that a common vision is needed for all European cities. Problems such as demographic change, increasing socio-economic inequalities, polarization and segregation, and the dispersed urban sprawl demand new forms of governance, applying a holistic model of sustainable development. Essentially, the report proposes adopting an “integrated analysis” for cities (diagnosis of the situation of the urban area, a SWOT analysis of needs and problems, etc.), together with the definition of a “strategic framework” that includes the vision, challenges, and expected results, along with delimitation of the area of action.

Indeed, this type of multidimensional, strategic, and participatory approach had already been developed in the 1990s via European Community initiatives such as URBAN, in two distinct phases (1994–1999 and 2000–2006), focusing on urban regeneration in the context of European cohesion policy. This approach would be continued by the URBANA Initiative (2007–2013). Its transposition to Spain facilitated action in numerous cities: 31 cities in the URBAN I Program (1994–1999), among them the cities of Toledo and Albacete, which are analyzed below; 10 more cities in the URBAN II Program (2000–2006); 46 cities in the URBANA Initiative, including some of the cities analyzed in this study, namely, Cuenca and Albacete.

It is in this context that the EU decided to support sustainable and integrated urban development with the allocation of structural and investment funds. It achieved this through a new initiative that was a continuation of the previous ones, a strategic planning tool aimed at cities or urban functional areas with more than 20,000 inhabitants, known as the integrated sustainable urban development strategies (ISUDS) tool. This commitment to setting aside 5% of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) budget (recently increased to 6%) to finance integrated urban sustainability measures is an incentive for governments to pay attention to cities.

In parallel, the European Urban Agenda, adopted in May 2016 in the context of the 2030 Agenda, seeks to stimulate growth, livability, and innovation in Europe’s cities, as well as to identify and successfully address numerous social challenges. From a clearly operational perspective, it outlines three concrete objectives: the improvement of community regulation, especially that which has a direct impact on urban areas, the search for a more effective design and the simpler management of EU funding instruments, and the promotion of knowledge exchange. In addition to involving local authorities in the improvement of urban spaces, other objectives include an attempt to establish a more effective integrated and coordinated approach to EU policies and legislation, with a potential impact on urban areas, and also to contribute to territorial cohesion by reducing the socio-economic differences observed in urban areas and regions [9]. Its transposition to Spain gave rise to the Spanish Urban Agenda, a roadmap setting out the strategy and actions to be carried out until 2030, in order to achieve friendly, welcoming, healthy, and aware towns and cities in the search for equitable, fair, and sustainable development [5].

1.2. The Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (ISUDS)

Integrated sustainable urban development strategies (ISUDS) represent strategic planning tools that define the priorities for action, based on a territorial approach combining different sectorial visions: physical, environmental, urban, economic, social, etc. They have provided a great opportunity for the improvement of Spanish cities, both because of their economic endowment, with ERDF aid payments of more than EUR 1.3 billion having been provided for the 2014–2020 period, and because of their strategic approach, since they are linked to a set of actions that address the economic, environmental, climatic, demographic, and social challenges affecting urban areas, making progress on goals such as access to, use, and quality of information and communication technologies; the transition to a low-carbon economy; environmental conservation and improved resource efficiency; finally, the fight against poverty and social exclusion in cities [10].

Within the thematic objectives (TOs) of the common strategic framework for the EU member states, the ISUDS can address the following:

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TO2: Improve access to, use, and quality of information and communication technologies.

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TO4: Encourage the shift to a low-carbon economy in all sectors.

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TO6: Conserve and protect the environment and promote resource efficiency.

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TO9: Promote social inclusion and combat poverty.

The contents of the ISUDS can be summarized as follows: (1) initial identification of urban problems and challenges; (2) integrated analysis covering the physical and environmental, climatic, demographic, social, and economic dimensions; (3) diagnosis and definition of the expected results; (4) participation of citizens and social agents in both the design and the implementation phases; (5) administrative capacity; (6) horizontal principles and cross-cutting ERDF objectives, including equality between men and women and non-discrimination, sustainable development, accessibility, attention to demographic change, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change [7].

Compared to previous programs (URBAN I and II, and the URBANA initiative), the novelty of ISUDS lies not so much in the integrated approach to sustainable urban development, but in three key elements: the establishment of a minimum reserve of 5% of the ERDF set aside for integrated sustainable urban development actions; the strengthening of the role of local entities, “urban authorities” responsible for the selection of operations within the framework of their respective strategies; the greater role of the Urban Initiatives Network (RIU), to which specific functions are attributed [10]. The latter, created in 2009, is responsible for coordinating those urban development actions supported by EU funds. In addition, within the European Community framework, funding for the new cohesion policy period (2021–2027) is being decided, and it has already been announced that the amount that countries will need to devote to sustainable urban development will be increased (at least in relative terms), with at least 6% of their ERDF allocation having to be allocated to sustainable urban development [11].

In the Spanish context, the ISUDS form part of the urban axis of sustainable growth operational program (POCS), which has given rise to three strategies [10]. The first program, under the order HAP/2427/2015 for the period from 2014 to 2020, took the degree of development of the regions into account, in terms of the distribution of funds, creating “autonomous communities” where those urban areas with more than 20,000 inhabitants were located. A total of 83 ISUDS were selected, with an investment of EUR 730 million. Some of the cities selected for support—Albacete, Ciudad Real, and Cuenca—are analyzed here. The second program, linked to the order HAP/1610/2016, selected 40 ISUDS to share a total financing program of EUR 297.5 million, with Toledo and Guadalajara among the selected cities. The third and last program, linked to the order HFP/888/2017, selected 50 more cities or urban areas, allocating funding of just over EUR 352 million.

2. Materials and Methods

The most important theoretical areas of the research methodology focus on sustainability and current challenges in the field of urbanism. They enable an understanding of the current needs and concerns of urban planning, particularly given the background of the current ISUDS and the characterization of this tool in Spain and Castilla-La Mancha, working within the framework of EU financing policies.

The methodology employs a qualitative method of interviewing the agents involved in the ISUDS and enables applied analysis of the main actions developed in each of the highlighted cities, for which ensuring the collaboration of the city councils has been key.

The methods used are also based on the main ArcGIS online program, which has been used to create spatial models of the study area.

The materials employed to establish geographic coordinates form a basis for conducting research by using geographic information systems to locate and map the main actions carried out in the cities under study. These operations make it possible to use measurement tools and obtain the spatial characteristics of the studied components of urban landscapes.

This analysis of the values of specific indicators makes it possible to identify the various spatial features in the studied cities. We identified the following variables in the current ISUDS actions: new uses for unused urban lots, new building construction programs, street rehabilitation, building rehabilitation, and neighborhood regeneration.

The analysis of numerous sources of information was an important part of our research. The methodological techniques that are usually applied in the processing of scientific and technical information became the basis of the four-stage methodology used in our research. These stages comprise preliminary research, bibliographic analysis, analytical analysis, and synthetic analysis.

3. Results

3.1. The Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (ISUDS) in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

In Spain, an awareness of environmental issues in general, and of those related to urban spaces in particular, has been slow to emerge. As in other Mediterranean countries, actions aimed at improving urban sustainability first began to be implemented toward the end of the last century. These actions included Local Agenda 21, resulting from the international environmental and sustainable development policy of the United Nations. This tool has been applied effectively, if somewhat unevenly; however, in some regions, such as Castilla-La Mancha, it has been a fundamental first step towards improving the urban environment.

Furthermore, the urban dimension of the EU cohesion policy has had a significant influence on Spanish urban policy as a result of the aforementioned initiatives. As noted above, during the 2014–2020 period, 173 ISUDS were approved by the Ministry of Finance. In Castilla-La Mancha, five projects were selected in the first phase—in Albacete, Almansa, Ciudad Real, Tomelloso, and Cuenca—for a total value of EUR 44.1 million. In the second phase, three more projects were added—the Provincial Council of Albacete, covering the municipalities of Campo de Hellín (Hellín, Albatana, Tobarra, Pozohondo, Liétor, Férez, and Socovos), Guadalajara, and Toledo—with a total funding of EUR 18.9 million. Finally, the third phase saw the addition of seven more cities—Valdepeñas, Puertollano, Alcázar de San Juan, Azuqueca de Henares, Seseña, Talavera de la Reina, and Illescas—with funding of EUR 45 million. In total, 15 ISUDS have been selected, linked to 14 of the Local Agendas 21, 13 municipal management plans, and 5 strategic plans, together accounting for a total funding value of EUR 108 million, which is 9% of the national total [12]. Except in the case of the Provincial Council of Albacete, all these strategies are local, despite recommendations being made to consider the territory beyond the cities. The ISUDS model has been criticized for this very reason; the strategies are conceived in isolation from their most immediate context and do not contribute to the cohesion of the territory, especially when the distribution criterion is the number of inhabitants [13], which is an important issue in Castilla-La Mancha. In accordance with Article 7 of the ERDF, ISUDS must be composed of interrelated actions that seek to bring about a lasting improvement in the economic, environmental, climatic, social, and demographic situation of an urban area. Although the operations that are financed by the structural funds do not necessarily need to cover all these elements, the ISUDS in which they are framed must take into account all the aspects mentioned above. Three major strategic dimensions are defined for urban environments, in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy for sustainable, smart, and inclusive growth, as determined in the Partnership Agreement:

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Improve the economic dimension and competitiveness to create a smart city;

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Improve the physical and environmental dimensions to create a sustainable city;

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Improve the social dimension to create an inclusive city.

3.2. The Principal Cities of Castilla-La Mancha and Their ISUDS: Case Studies

The principal cities in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, all of which are capitals of the provinces with the same names, are Albacete, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Guadalajara, and Cuenca. In these cities, the path toward urban sustainability has included both failures and successes. As in many other Spanish urban spaces, the journey has been slow, requiring institutional and social awareness, the support of the media, and citizen participation, all of which have traditionally been lacking. In 2018, the Observatory of Sustainability in Spain evaluated the progress of cities towards more sustainable development, based on the indicators of the UN’s sustainable development goals and the New Urban Agenda. It offered an analysis of the 52 Spanish provincial capitals, using 59 indicators that were divided into 26 themes and 4 large blocks: economic, social, environmental, and the level of transparency and cooperation. In this report, our selected cities in Castilla-La Mancha were ranked in low positions: Albacete came 19th out of 52, Cuenca was 25th, Ciudad Real was 38th, Guadalajara was 40th, and Toledo was 46th [14].

As mentioned above, the five provincial capitals of Castilla-La Mancha—Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo—have incorporated the ISUDS based on the established methodological phases: the identification of urban problems or challenges, an integrated analysis of the city, diagnosis of the situation (SWOT analysis), a strategy implementation plan, a description of the mechanisms for citizen participation, a guarantee of administrative capacity, and the establishment of horizontal principles and cross-cutting objectives. The following map allows us to locate these cities and their municipalities within the territory of the Castilla-La Mancha region (Figure 1).

As in other cities, the implementation of ISUDS involves the development of actions to address the urban economic, environmental, and social challenges, with municipalities being responsible for the promotion of their own projects. The most ambitious objective is the improvement of the post-crisis socioeconomic situation and urban-social regeneration, especially in terms of reducing unemployment, boosting entrepreneurship, providing employment training, and strengthening business networks [15].

By looking at the budgetary allocations for these actions and their alignment with the TOs, we can define the priorities in the ISUDS of the capitals of Castilla-La Mancha. First, Cuenca and Albacete have been allocated a budget of more than EUR 18 million, while Ciudad Real and Guadalajara have received a budget of around EUR 12 million, and Toledo has the smallest budget of EUR 8.5 million. If we look at the TOs, these show varying weights in each of the cities, in terms of a greater or lesser number of actions associated with each TO (

Table 1. Budget allocation for ISUDS actions, according to the thematic objectives, in the provincial capitals of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).

Albacete	Ciudad Real	Cuenca	Guadalajara	Toledo
TO2	TO2	TO2	TO2	TO2
EUR 2,520,000	EUR 4,944,867	EUR 3,750,000	EUR 2,114,443	EUR 985,248
14.0%	39.6%	20.0%	18.5%	11.6%
TO4	TO4	TO4	TO4	TO4
EUR 4,860,000	EUR 3,463,466	EUR 3,750,000	EUR 2,812,393	EUR 2,436,204
27.0%	27.7%	20.0%	24.5%	28.6%
TO6	TO6	TO6	TO6	TO6
EUR 4,500,000	EUR 1,538,889	EUR 4,687,500	EUR 3,094,786	EUR 2,730,283
25.0%	12.3%	25.0%	27.0%	32.0%
TO9	TO9	TO9	TO9	TO9
EUR 6,120,000	EUR 2,552,778	EUR 6,562,500	EUR 3,437,401	EUR 2,367,265
34.0%	20.4%	35.0%	30.0%	27.8%
TOTAL	TOTAL	TOTAL	TOTAL	TOTAL
EUR 18,000,000	EUR 12,500,000	EUR 18,750,000	EUR 11,459,023	EUR 8,519,000
100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

Source: Authors’ own elaboration, based on official ISUDS documentation of each city.

).

TO2: There are two main lines of action associated with TO2, to “Improve the access, use, and quality of information and communication technologies”. On the one hand, this involves the promotion of smart cities and, on the other, the improvement of municipal electronic administration. There has been substantial investment in and progress toward the achievement of this objective.

TO4: “Encourage the transition to a low carbon economy” has focused on promoting sustainable urban mobility (clean urban transport, public transport, urban–rural connections, improvements in the road network regarding cycling, pedestrian transport, and electric mobility, and the development of clean energy supply systems).

TO6: “To conserve and protect the environment and promote resource efficiency” has focused on energy efficiency in the context of outdoor lighting, seeking energy efficiency in municipal buildings and facilities, and achieving a noise-free city. In those cities with rivers, such as Toledo, Cuenca, or Guadalajara, improvements have been made to riverbank environments to promote their use by citizens.

TO9: “Promote social inclusion and the fight against poverty” has focused on those actions and projects linked to the comprehensive physical, economic, and social regeneration of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city, improving their social and morphological features and their connections with the rest of the city.

3.3. The Morphological Impact of Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (ISUDS) on the Case-Study Areas

3.3.1. Albacete and the Impact of ISUDS on Urban Morphology

The ISUDS for Albacete (ISUDS-Albacete) [16], co-financed by the “ERDF Operational Program 2014–2020: Pluri-regional Spain”, identified certain problems and challenges, along with the strategies needed to address them, from the perspective of sustainable and integrated urban development. The EU funding amounts to EUR 15 million, to which the city council must contribute EUR 3.00 million (20%), meaning that a total of EUR 18.00 million will be allocated.

The main actions that have been carried out start with digital transformation, creating an electronic administration for municipal procedures, developing a system for the management of appointments, the recording of municipal plenary sessions and online meeting minutes, and establishing Albacete as a smart city. In addition, there have been numerous actions aimed at ensuring the energy efficiency of outdoor lighting and of municipal buildings and facilities, promoting electric urban transport, and developing a special plan for the integration of dispersed settlements. In the city, the old police station has been renovated and enlarged, new green areas and recreation areas have been planned, and 12 plots of land owned by the city council have been integrated. A system for monitoring and evaluating the environmental quality of the area and assessing environmental noise has been created, and a multipurpose building has been constructed. Lastly, an occupational training project has been set up to help people develop their skills, in a bid to reduce unemployment (Figure 2).

The actions that have had the greatest impact on urban morphology are focused on four areas: (1) the modification of roads, with the rehabilitation of streets; (2) the rehabilitation of buildings; (3) new uses for unused plots of land; and (4) the construction of new buildings, as part of policies for the rehabilitation and regeneration of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

3.3.2. Ciudad Real and the Impact of ISUDS on Urban Morphology

The “Ciudad Real 2022 Eco-Integrator” strategy [17] is a project that aims to make Ciudad Real an inclusive, modern, environmentally sustainable city, thereby improving the quality of life of its inhabitants. The intention is to create an efficient city of the future, offering services that are accessible to the entire population, one that is attractive in terms of the creation of opportunities and that is walkable, integrated, socially balanced, and with transparent management. The main focus of the strategy is social inclusion, although the environment and energy efficiency are important issues. The EU funding budget totals EUR 10 million, while the city council must contribute EUR 2.5 million, meaning that a total of EUR 12.5 million will be allocated.

Notable among the project’s actions are: digital transformation (the Open Government and e-Government citizen platforms); the introduction of a sustainable urban mobility and accessibility plan throughout the city, which involves the implementation of electric buses; the complete renovation of municipal buildings and facilities (including City Hall itself); finally, a system for monitoring and evaluating air quality and environmental noise, with a view to achieving a noise-free city.

Those actions with the greatest impact on urban morphology have focused on the rehabilitation and regeneration of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, such as El Pilar, La Esperanza, and San Martin de Porres, involving the improvement of sidewalks, squares, street lighting, and green spaces, thereby favoring pedestrianization. Access routes that facilitate the connection between the high-speed train station and the city center have also been created in the case of the La Esperanza neighborhoods, together with social inclusion programs in each of the aforementioned vulnerable neighborhoods (Figure 3).

3.3.3. Cuenca and the Impact of ISUDS on Urban Morphology

The “ISUDS Cuenca 2022 Strategy” [18] is a project that aims to make Cuenca the backbone of its surrounding region through its complete integration into high-capacity land communication networks, the diversification and modernization of its economic activity, and its consolidation as a city of cultural and nature tourism. Three innovation networks stand out: the productive innovation network (the development of emerging productive sectors, the promotion of a culture of innovation, and the creation of new productive spaces with first-class technological equipment); the cultural innovation network (the construction of a system of museums, exhibition halls, and art centers, together with the development of cultural social networks for the international promotion of the city’s heritage); and the social innovation network (incorporating the perspectives of gender, children, young people, and disadvantaged groups, with the aim of creating a more intelligent, sustainable, and integrated environment). The EU funding amounts to EUR 15 million, and the city council must contribute EUR 3.75 million; therefore, a total of EUR 18.75 million will be allocated.

What is significant in this case is how this tool relates to the showcasing of Cuenca as a tourist destination, to increase its competitiveness by making better use of its natural and cultural attractions. The strategy also incorporates a comprehensive accessibility plan (on public roads and in public and private buildings), the redesign of some public spaces and buildings to become places of culture and creativity for citizens, and the improvement of facilities in municipal buildings that are based on biomass networks. In terms of ICT, a data processing center will be set up to support new management applications such as e-administration, geographic information systems, transparency, and interactive tourism, which will lead to greater efficiency on the path toward Cuenca becoming a smart city.

In the morphological area (Figure 4), we can see the municipal works carried out to help revitalize and regenerate the city, enhancing its multifunctional character and providing a boost to small businesses. Regarding the riverbanks, the environmental improvement program includes pathways along the banks of the Júcar and Huecar rivers, with a link between the two.

3.3.4. Guadalajara and the Impact of ISUDS on Urban Morphology

The ISUDS strategy in Guadalajara [19] establishes coordinated measures to address the economic, environmental, climatic, demographic, and social challenges affecting urban areas in terms of their physical renewal, the promotion of education, economic development, social inclusion, and environmental protection. The EU funding amounts to EUR 9.2 million, with the city council expected to contribute 2.2 million, meaning that a total of EUR 11.4 million will be allocated.

The main actions are related, once again, to digital transformation, the management of smart city urban services, and the electronic administration of the city council, together with the extension and improvement of the wireless communications network, the implementation of intelligent road safety systems, and an integrated citizens’ portal. Also noteworthy are the urban rehabilitation plan for some streets, the intelligent management of the parking system, the commitment to energy saving in terms of street lighting and in public buildings, as well as in the outdoor lighting along the banks of the Henares River.

From a morphological point of view, the recovery of the right bank of the Henares River (Figure 5), new stretches of dedicated bicycle lanes, and the expansion of parking and signage stand out. Several school access paths have also been built, including greater pedestrianization. Other proposals include the rehabilitation and revitalization of spaces and buildings in the old town, such as the Mercado de Abasto, the conversion of a former women’s prison into a new center for the elderly, and the creation of a training and employment center.

3.3.5. Toledo and the Morphological Impact of ISUDS

The Toledo ISUDS [20] has enabled the implementation of urban regeneration actions through an integrated approach that takes into account the economic, environmental, climatic, demographic, and social aspects. The EU funding has been set at EUR 6.8 million, with the city council contributing EUR 1.7 million, making a total allocation of EUR 8.5 million.

The strategy establishes three priority axes. The first is Toledo as a smart city, with three strategic objectives: promoting the use of ICT, creating resources, and encouraging the population to develop the related habits, both to communicate with the local administration and for the use and management of services; advancing the implementation of Toledo as a smart city; completely developing an E-administration. The second is Toledo as a sustainable city, with seven strategic objectives: improving interconnection and mobility between the city’s neighborhoods and major facilities; promoting the use of cleaner urban transport and reducing the use of private cars for travel within the city; improving energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in municipal public buildings and public lighting; complying with the standards of quality, energy efficiency, and accessibility in the oldest, most run-down housing; completely reconditioning the banks of the Tagus River as a natural asset of interest to tourists and citizens; ensuring continuity in terms of actions aimed at the protection, promotion, and development of the area’s cultural heritage as a tourist attraction in the historic center of Toledo; improving the urban and environmental surroundings of the most run-down neighborhoods and nearby deteriorating industrial areas. The third priority axis is Toledo as an inclusive city, with three objectives: achieving the physical, economic, and social regeneration of the neighborhoods of Santa Bárbara and Santa María de Benquerencia; revitalizing the production networks and local neighborhood businesses outside the historic center; supporting the integration of vulnerable groups into the workplace, with a gender perspective and greater participation in rehabilitation programs for run-down areas.

The main actions thus developed correspond to three strategic lines: (1) Toledo, a compact, inclusive, and cohesive city, with a notable coordination of projects around the Tagus River and a connection with the central areas (improvement of the Tagus River path in the section from the Puente de San Martín and the University to Vega Baja, and the design of a pedestrian route and cycle path between Avenida Madrid and the Salto del Caballo traffic circle, including the landscaping of the area to facilitate access to and efficiency of public services); (2) improving the energy efficiency of public buildings with diverse uses, such as the sports hall in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood, encouraging multiple uses and reducing the need to travel; (3) co-governance, participation, and innovation with the implementation of the GIS—a centralized database for the classification and generation of informational maps of the city and its services—and the standardization of municipal procedures to achieve 100% transparency.

The actions related to the first of these lines (Toledo, as a compact, inclusive, and cohesive city) undoubtedly have the greatest impact on urban morphology (Figure 6), especially the regeneration and improvement of some areas of the city, bringing pedestrianization, the improvement of public spaces, the addition of bicycle paths, accessibility to the city center, and the regeneration of specific neighborhoods.

4. Discussion

Urban demographic stabilization in Europe, unsustainable land use due to urban sprawl, and the increased vulnerability of certain neighborhoods over the last three decades are three of the main reasons why cities are focusing their urban planning efforts and policy on improving the existing city [21]. In this regard, one of the areas that have attracted the most attention has been urban regeneration, along with the rehabilitation and improvement of neighborhoods, buildings, or public spaces, which have a direct impact on urban morphology.

Urban regeneration is largely characterized by an integrated holistic approach [22] that takes a comprehensive view of the relationships between the different aspects of degradation in urban areas [23]. For this reason, this approach can be considered an opportunity to solve the problems that lead to the decline and vulnerability of disadvantaged neighborhoods [23,24]. Moreover, the local level may be the most appropriate scale for tackling these issues, as shown by a recent study of nine European cities [21], in most of which, the urban regeneration initiatives were launched at the local level via urban strategies, based on different time horizons (2030 and 2050).

In this context, planning tools such as the ISUDS have proven to be effective in various fields, as we have analyzed above, but this is particularly true in urban regeneration and in the rehabilitation and improvement of neighborhoods and public spaces. Taking into account the neighborhood regeneration plans and programs associated with the ISUDS in the period between the approval of the Toledo Declarations of 2010 and 2020, resulting from the implementation of the Local Action Plans of the Spanish Urban Agenda, special attention is paid to linking these plans and programs with those in vulnerable neighborhoods [25]

In the various provincial capitals of Castilla-La Mancha discussed in the case studies analyzed here, the ISUDS have brought about numerous advances, mainly in terms of ICT, focusing on the promotion of digital administrations and energy efficiency. They have also been influential in the field of sustainable mobility, both in relation to the promotion of the use of bicycles and also sustainable public transport. In some cases, they have had a substantial impact on the morphological transformations of cities, based on road modifications and street improvements, a trend in line with those cities in which urban regeneration has focused on the physical dimensions of urban design and the capacity to adapt to climate change [26]. In other cases, the rehabilitation of buildings has contributed to the socioeconomic revitalization of the urban centers. Furthermore, in cities such as Cuenca, the recovery of and improved access to riverbanks have helped to show how the greening of the built environment can accelerate urban transition [27,28]. Finally, the regeneration of some vulnerable neighborhoods has been one of the main commitments regarding cities such as Ciudad Real.

5. Conclusions

In the context of urban sustainability and the planning tools adopted by European cities to achieve this, we have analyzed how integrated sustainable urban development strategies (ISUDS) define future priorities for action, based on a territorial approach that integrates physical, environmental, urban, economic, and social aspects, among others, and their link to the provision of European funds.

While the ISUDS have helped to bring about actions related to the introduction and improvement of ICT in local administrations (both in Spain and in the municipalities), significant progress has also been made in local sustainable mobility policies and the promotion of a low-carbon economy. This has been accompanied by a strong commitment to energy efficiency, improvements to the riverbanks in the case of cities with rivers, and various actions related to social inclusion and the regeneration of vulnerable neighborhoods. All this improvement has been analyzed in the five provincial capitals of the region of Castilla-La Mancha: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Toledo, and Guadalajara.

Special attention has been paid to the impact of certain actions on the morphology of these cities. While the impact has been moderate, there are notable cases relating to the renovation of buildings, the revitalization of urban centers, pedestrianization, the improvement of green spaces, the creation of bicycle lanes, or urban regeneration actions in vulnerable neighborhoods. The aim of this study was to advance the scientific knowledge of the principal cities in Castilla-La Mancha and to conduct an in-depth exploration of their urban sustainability policies, which are currently so vital.