Urban Blue Economy and the Future of Coastal Cities: The Case of Batumi

Abstract

The urban blue economy serves as an integrated framework for sustainable development and social inclusion, presenting new opportunities for modern cities, especially those located along coastal areas. This approach emphasizes not only the efficient use of natural resources but also the enhancement of urban life quality, ecological resilience, and social justice. Batumi, a city on the shores of the Black Sea, stands out as a key case study. Over the past two decades, the city has experienced rapid urban growth, but this expansion has come with significant challenges. These include the fragmentation of physical and social spaces, the degradation of coastal ecosystems, threats to cultural heritage, and a lack of long-term sustainability planning. The urban transformation of Batumi has primarily been driven by investment-led, tourism-focused, and infrastructure-heavy strategies, which have profoundly changed the city’s spatial and socio-economic landscape. Unfortunately, this development model often neglects the needs of local communities, principles of social equity, and long-term ecological considerations. In this context, applying the urban blue economy—focused on protecting marine ecosystems, integrating green and blue spaces, promoting responsible water governance, developing innovative infrastructure, and implementing citizen-centered planning—provides a promising pathway to a more inclusive and sustainable urban future for Batumi. This study explores Batumi's major urban development trends through the lens of the urban blue economy. It traces the city’s spatial transformation through key historical phases, from Soviet-era planning to post-socialist transition and the recent wave of rapid urban expansion. The analysis reveals the geographic, social, and economic trajectories that have shaped Batumi’s contemporary urban identity and illustrates how various historical approaches to urban development have affected the city’s spatial structure and the perception of its coastal zone. Ultimately, the paper offers an analytical framework to assess the outcomes of specific policies and understand the broader dynamics driving Batumi’s urban evolution.