Understanding City Concepts, Development, Morphology, and Structure
Defining the Concept of City
The concept of a city is complex, resulting from a combination of several criteria:
- Quantitative/Statistical: Based on population figures. In Spain, urban municipalities have over 10,000 inhabitants.
- Qualitative: Defines the city based on its characteristics.
- Morphological: Considers the city’s formal aspect.
- Functional: Focuses on urban economic activities, distinct from farming.
- Sociological: Defines the city by its social traits, such as diversity and impersonal relationships, compared to rural homogeneity.
- Spatial: Based on the city’s ability to organize space and influence other towns.
Urban Development Process
Urbanization is the increasing concentration of population, economic activities, and innovations in a city, with subsequent dissemination into its surroundings.
Preindustrial Urbanization
From city origins to the 19th century. Features include:
- Low, stable urbanization rate, parallel to urban and rural population growth.
- Development factors: military-strategic, politico-administrative, economic, religious, and cultural.
- Stages: Ancient times (Phoenician and Greek colonization), Middle Ages (Muslim and Christian influences), Modern Age (fluctuations due to demographic, economic, and political factors).
Industrial Urbanization
From the 19th century to the 1975 economic crisis. Features include:
- Significant urbanization rate growth, exceeding rural growth.
- Administrative and economic-social factors favored growth.
- Large cities expanded, forming metropolitan areas.
Postindustrial Urbanization
From 1980 in Spain, following the 1975 crisis. Features include:
- Slowed urbanization rate due to reduced natural growth and industrial restructuring.
- Changing urbanization factors.
- Slower population concentration in large cities, though urbanized areas continue expanding.
Urban Morphology
External morphology is the city’s appearance, influenced by location, situation, plan, construction, and land use.
- Site: The specific space where the city sits.
- Situation: The city’s position relative to a wider geographical area.
- Plan: The arrangement of built and open spaces. Types include:
- Irregular: Narrow, winding streets and undefined squares.
- Radiocentric: Radial streets intersected by rings around a center.
- Orthogonal/Grid: Streets intersecting at right angles.
- Plot and Building:
- Plot: Building arrangement (compact/closed or open).
- Building: Collective or individual height.
- Land Uses: Different uses of urban space (business, residential, industrial, etc.).
Urban Structure
Urban structure divides a city into areas with distinct morphology and functions. Spanish cities have a complex structure due to prolonged urbanization.
Conventional cities have areas corresponding to pre-industrial urbanization, industrial expansion, and the current edge. Intense urbanization leads to urban agglomerations by connecting cities to neighboring towns.