The Urban Network in Spain: Size, Functions, and Hierarchy of Cities

Posted on Nov 10, 2024 in Geography

The Urban Network in Spain

1. City Size and Distribution

City size, based on population, determines the urban hierarchy. The rank-size rule helps understand this relationship. In Spain, seven metropolitan areas exceed half a million inhabitants:

  • Madrid: The largest metropolitan area, ranking first in the system.
  • Barcelona: Significantly larger than the typical second city in a national system.
  • Valencia: The third largest, marking a notable size difference after Barcelona.
  • Seville, Bilbao, Malaga, and Zaragoza: Follow in decreasing population size.

Numerous cities have populations between 300,000 and 400,000, and between 200,000 and 300,000, reflecting recent growth and decentralization of productive activities.

Spatial Distribution

Two key features characterize the spatial distribution of urban agglomerations:

  1. Peripheral Semi-Ring: Large cities form a semi-ring around a less urbanized central area, with Madrid as the largest agglomeration surrounded by smaller towns. This has led to the development of territorial axes concentrating population and economic activity, primarily peripheral (Northern, Mediterranean, Andalusian), with the Ebro Valley connecting the Northern and Mediterranean axes.
  • Northern Axis: Discontinuous, including the Galician Atlantic axis and the Cantabrian axis, with inland branches.
  • Mediterranean Axis: Extends from Girona to Cartagena, exhibiting high dynamism.
  • Andalusian Axis: Comprises the Guadalquivir Valley and the coastal axis.
  • Ebro Valley Axis: Connects the Cantabrian and Mediterranean axes, centered around Zaragoza.
Northeast Concentration: Five of the seven largest cities are concentrated in the northeast, including major economic centers (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia) and Zaragoza, a strategic crossroads.

2. City Functions

Cities are classified based on their socio-economic activities directed outwards:

  1. Primary Cities: Specialize in primary sector activities, such as agriculture (Andalusia, La Mancha, Murcia, Levante) and mining (Asturias).
  2. Secondary Cities: Focus on industry (Basque Country, Catalonia, Asturias), construction (dynamic or tourism-driven cities), or are part of metropolitan areas.
  3. Tertiary Cities: Specialize in services (commercial, administrative, cultural, health, religious, tourist), defining their role in spatial organization, particularly major national cities.

3. Area of Urban Influence

Central cities supply goods and services to a surrounding area of influence, which expands with the diversity and specialization of urban functions. Christaller’s central place theory proposes a hexagonal model of influence areas, although real-world application is complex. The Spanish case shows a relatively acceptable distribution:

  • Madrid: National influence.
  • Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, A Coruña, Bilbao: Regional influence.
  • Burgos, Zaragoza, Murcia, Granada: Mid-range influence.

4. Urban Hierarchy

City size, functions, and influence area create a hierarchical system:

  1. Metropolis (over 250,000 inhabitants):
    • National Cities (Madrid, Barcelona): Over 4 million inhabitants, diverse functions (management, innovation, culture, entertainment, high-tech industries), national influence, and global connections.
    • Metropolitan Regions (Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Malaga, Zaragoza): 1.5 million to 500,000 inhabitants, senior administrative and commercial services, regional influence, and strong ties with national cities.
    • Subregional/Regional Metropolis (Valladolid, Oviedo, Murcia, Alicante, A Coruña): 500,000 to 250,000 inhabitants, specialized services (university), subregional/regional influence, and connections with regional capitals.
  2. Medium Cities: 250,000 to 50,000 inhabitants, primarily tertiary functions (trade, provincial administration, education, health), and transport hubs for surrounding villages.
  3. Small Cities and Towns (under 50,000 inhabitants): Less specialized functions (administration, commerce), some specialized equipment (education), and local transport hubs.

5. Urban Relations

Urban relations can be unidirectional or reciprocal, direct or indirect. The Spanish urban system exhibits these characteristics:

  • Madrid: Strong relations with other cities.
  • Barcelona: Generally weaker influence, but strong in the east.
  • Northeast Quadrant: High integration among the five major cities.
  • Rest of the System: More limited integration, particularly around Portugal, the South Plateau, the western Bay of Biscay, and between Andalusia and the Levant.