Public perceptions for evaluating beach quality in urban and semi-natural environments

The lack of bottom-up approaches to assess beach quality and to adapt it to local context is addressed in this paper. Our aim is to explore the public perceptions and preferences according to the degree of exploitation/conservation of the beaches to draw policy recommendations. The methods, which have been applied on 6 beaches along the coast of North-eastern Spain (Costa Brava), involved a survey of 700 beach users, an extensive checklist to register the objective reference and a set of in-depth interviews to local stakeholders.The preferences and perceptions appear to be not only influenced by the specific characteristics of each beach but also by the beach-user profile. Policy implications points out that conservation strategies should be prioritised in natural environments, while interventionist approaches enhancing recreational beach functions should be orientated to intensive used beaches, normally located along urban seafronts.