Spanish Urban Systems: Hierarchy, Roles, and Influence Areas
Spanish Urban System
City Size and the Rank-Size Rule
The size of a city is one of the bases of its urban hierarchy. It is generally assessed according to the rank-size rule, which is associated with its population. In Spain, cities with more than half a million inhabitants include Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Malaga, and Zaragoza.
Spatial Distribution
The spatial distribution of large cities in Spain is notable for two main features:
- Peripheral Arrangement: Large cities are arranged in a semicircular periphery surrounding a less urbanized inner space. Madrid, the largest urban agglomeration, is at the center.
- Territorial Axes: The growth of these urban areas has created territorial axes connecting them. These axes are primarily peripheral due to the location of older cities.
Key axes include:
- Northern Axis: A discontinuous axis consisting of the Atlantic axis of Galicia and inland cities.
- Mediterranean Axis: Extends from Girona to Cartagena.
- Andalusian Urban Network: Aligned along a twofold axis: the Guadalquivir Valley and the Littoral axis.
- Ebro Valley Axis: Functions as a communicator between the Cantabrian and Mediterranean regions.
The major cities are concentrated in the Northeast, where five major centers of economic activity are strategically located: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, and Zaragoza.
Roles of Spanish Cities
The socioeconomic activities performed by cities, directed outward, can be classified into several types:
- Primary Cities: Specialized in agriculture and mining.
- Secondary Cities: Specialized in industry (e.g., Basque Country, Barcelona, Asturias).
- Tertiary Cities: Focused on services, including trade, tourism, and culture.
Urban Areas of Influence
Cities are places that supply goods and services, and their areas of influence can be classified according to Christaller’s central place theory. This theory posits that central places are arranged according to the variety and quality of the functions they perform, resulting in hexagonal areas of influence.
Comparing this model with the Spanish case reveals a generally accepted distribution. Madrid is the main center, with its influence extending throughout Spain. In the nuclear periphery, the next most influential cities are Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia. At an intermediate distance are mid-range cities like Burgos, Murcia, and Zaragoza. Following these are smaller population centers.
Spanish Urban Hierarchy
The hierarchical organization of Spanish cities is based on population size, functions, and the extent of their area of influence. The categories are:
- Metropolises: Cities at the top of the hierarchy (more than 250,000 inhabitants), with highly specialized functions (primarily in the tertiary sector and industry) and wide areas of influence.
- National Metropolis: Madrid, with more than 4 million inhabitants, has a wide influence, linking the European and global systems.
- Regional Metropolises: Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Malaga, and Zaragoza have senior services, regional influence, and maintain relationships with the national metropolis.
- Sub-Metropolises: Valladolid, Oviedo, and Murcia have highly specialized services. Their area of influence is sub-regional, and they maintain relationships with regional capitals and smaller places.
- Medium-Sized Cities: These are not provincial capitals. Their population ranges between 250,000 and 500,000, and their functions are primarily tertiary.
- Small Cities (Towns): These have fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, specialized functions, and a local commercial area of influence.