The Alicante–Elche–Benidorm functional area is a polycentric region that combines urban, peri-urban and rural settings along a strategic Mediterranean corridor. It includes around three main urban nodes and 28 peri-urban municipalities over roughly 2 000 km², with about one million inhabitants, 400 000 of whom live in peri-urban nodes. The area is a major tourism and logistics hub with very high solar potential, a growing network of local energy communities and a diverse resident, seasonal worker and visitor population.
Key challenges
Car dependent peri-urban mobility
Around 46% of residents commute across municipalities, and an estimated 87% of peri-urban trips rely on private cars, creating congestion, emissions and accessibility gaps.
Seasonal pressure from tourism
With more than five million visitors per year, mobility and energy systems face strong seasonal peaks that stress infrastructure and services.
Uneven access to services in peri-urban areas
Peri-urban communities can experience limited access to health, education, commercial and leisure services without sustainable transport alternatives.
Energy resilience and energy poverty
While the region is advanced in local energy communities, storage capacity, flexibility and support for vulnerable households remain limited in many peri-urban neighborhoods.
What the TSLL will address through ALTHEA
Sustainable peri-urban mobility and accessibility
The TSLL will develop a sustainable, intermodal and on-demand mobility network that reduces car dependence and improves access to key services for residents, commuters and tourists. It will deploy innovations for peri-urban transport demand analysis and accessibility modelling to design better intermodal hubs, active mobility corridors, and integrated information services.
Local renewable energy communities and storage
The TSLL will support the creation and scaling of local energy communities that combine distributed photovoltaics, shared storage and flexibility services. It will test community-based energy storage concepts and advanced flexibility forecasting to improve grid stability, increase self-consumption, and reduce emissions.
Data-driven governance for seasonality and just transition
The TSLL will set up a strategic governance hub that uses shared data to manage tourism-driven seasonality in mobility and energy, while supporting an inclusive transition. It will coordinate public and private stakeholders to flatten seasonal peaks, adapt public transport and strengthen participation of vulnerable groups.
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