Spanish Urban System: Structure, Hierarchy, and Key Metropolitan Areas
1. Cities as Part of a System
Cities are integral components of an urban system. They establish diverse relationships, with larger cities often influencing surrounding towns. European integration and globalization have added a new dimension to this dynamic, transcending national boundaries.
2. Urban Agglomerations
Agglomerations represent the primary level of relationships within an urban system. Urban centers interact at national and international levels, forging strong connections with other nuclei. They form urban concentrations where constituent nuclei mutually influence each other.
2.1 Metropolitan Areas
Metropolitan areas are prevalent in Spain. They consist of a central city, typically with a strong tertiary sector, and surrounding towns, often industrial. Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao were the first major metropolitan areas in Spain, experiencing significant growth in the 1960s. Currently, all Spanish cities generate metropolitan areas. Spain has seven large metropolitan areas with over half a million inhabitants: Zaragoza, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, and Malaga. Factors such as high land prices in major cities, industrial relocation to the periphery, and the need for new land have contributed to the higher growth rates of metropolitan areas compared to central cities.
2.2 Conurbations
Conurbations are less common in Spain. They are formed by the growth of several cities and suburban areas whose metropolitan fields merge. The cities within a conurbation may be nested or have similar ranges. A prime example is the Costa del Sol between Malaga and Marbella, encompassing major urban areas with significant tourism development.
2.3 Urban Regions
Urban regions are characterized by numerous interconnected cities without forming a continuous urban space, allowing undeveloped areas to persist. The most representative example is the urban region of Asturias.
3. The System of Cities in Spain
The presence of cities of varying ranks establishing dependency relationships within a given space constitutes a city system or urban system. This system is characterized by a hierarchy. Madrid, as the major interior urban nucleus, exerts a significant influence. Except for Valladolid and Zaragoza, urbanization is less pronounced in other peninsular areas. Outlying towns are arranged in a semi-ring. The main axes of broader city development are along the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro Valley, Andalusia, Galicia, and the Cantabrian coast. The major northeastern peninsular metropolises are Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, and Bilbao. The establishment of Autonomous Communities has fostered a more balanced urban system, with recent development in urban areas within these communities.
Subsystems:
- Madrid: A major urban center since its establishment as the capital in 1561. Its importance stems from industrial and service sector development, facilitated by the radial organization of Spanish land routes.
- Northern Axis: Comprising the Galician, Asturian, Cantabrian, Basque, and Navarrese city systems. It has benefited from its coastal location, favoring port economic development and urban growth. Its future depends on road development.
- Mediterranean Coast Axis: The most important group of urban systems in Spain, stretching from northern Catalonia to Cartagena. It has benefited from its coastal location and the development of mass tourism. Barcelona and Valencia experienced significant growth related to industrial development stages. They possess crucial transportation infrastructure conducive to continued growth and better connection with the European system.
- Andalusian Urban Network: Divided into two parts:
- A coastal axis from Almeria to Huelva, linked to coastal activities and tourism.
- An interior axis along the Guadalquivir River, encompassing Seville, Huelva, Cádiz, Córdoba, and Jaén.
- Ebro Valley Axis: Zaragoza is the main city, strategically positioned within Spain. Transportation infrastructure provides good communication with Europe.
The Spanish urban system reflects a development model with significant disparities between regions, influenced by tourism and transport infrastructure. This has led to uneven urban development in certain areas. Regional governments’ efforts have encouraged the growth of regional and local axes.
4. Ranking of Spanish Cities
The network of Spanish cities exhibits dependency levels forming an urban hierarchy, considering:
- Number of inhabitants
- Specialization of functions
- Size of the area of influence
Metropolises occupy the top tier of the hierarchy. They have over 200,000 inhabitants and develop specialized activities with significant influence, such as:
- Organizing cultural events with national and international impact
- Concentrating headquarters of utilities
- Hosting major dealers
- Accommodating territorial administration functions
- Offering numerous business services
- Organizing conferences and trade shows
- Serving as headquarters for large multinational companies
Metropolises are further categorized:
- National Metropolises (M): Madrid and Barcelona. These cities have over one million inhabitants, with metropolitan areas exceeding four million. They host large company headquarters, possess high expertise levels, and exert influence throughout Spain and internationally.
- Regional Metropolises (M): Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Zaragoza, and Bilbao. They have between 500,000 and one million inhabitants and regional influence. They have significant industrial and service sectors, with specialized services creating dependencies on other towns in the region. They maintain important relationships with national cities.
- Subregional or Second-Order Regional Metropolises (M): Cities like Murcia, Las Palmas, and Valladolid, with populations between 200,000 and 500,000. They exhibit substantial industrial and service development and depend on national and regional metropolises, while some also exert regional influence.
Lower in the hierarchy are cities without large metropolitan areas (under 200,000):
- Medium-sized Cities: Such as Castellón, León, and Toledo, with populations between 50,000 and 200,000. Their influence is provincial, and many have experienced growth in recent years, potentially expanding their area of influence.