Understanding Urban Development: Key Concepts and Challenges
Criteria for Defining a City
Number of Inhabitants
While population size is a key factor, there’s no universal minimum. In Spain, a population of 10,000 is considered urban.
Habitat Concentration, Density, and Continuity
Cities often exhibit high population density, but even low-density residential areas can be considered urban.
Economic Activity
Cities are characterized by diverse economic activities, unlike rural centers focused on the primary sector.
Territorial Influence
Cities concentrate administrative, political, and cultural activities, fostering creativity and opportunities.
Architecture and Urbanism
Tall buildings and wide avenues are characteristic of urban architecture.
Lifestyle
Urban lifestyles are generally marked by tolerance and dynamism.
Urban Social Actors
Types of Urban Agents
Private Landowners
They often seek to maximize profits by developing urban spaces on their properties.
Property Developers
They focus on constructing, selling, and renting residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
Employers
They influence urban transformation by relocating factories and freeing up land.
Citizens
They advocate for land use that meets collective needs like education, health, and leisure.
Public Authorities
They represent the city and decide land use and growth direction.
Conflicts Between Urban Agents
Conflicts arise between those seeking to increase land and building value (owners, developers) and those advocating for use-value (e.g., for schools, hospitals).
The City as a Commodity
The Value of Land
Urban land is a commodity with limitations: it’s finite and immobile.
Urban Planning
Objectives of Planning
Urban planning aims to organize the development of a town or city.
Urban Plans
These documents, both legal and political, outline proposals for city growth and evolution.
- Conditioning: Considers pre-existing conditions.
- Corrective: Addresses deficits and problems.
- Pilot: Forecasts investments and activities for future development.
- Regulatory: Sets mandatory rules for everyone.
Land Classification
- Urban Land: Developed land with infrastructure and construction.
- Building Land: Land designated for development under urban legislation.
- Non-Developable Land: Protected land due to scenic, historical, or environmental value.
- General Systems: Land allocated for municipal operations (roads, green areas, etc.).
City Setting and Location
Setting: The physical place of a city, influenced by topography and its original function.
Location: A city’s position relative to other places, related to its regional role.
Types of City Plans
Irregular Plan
Common in old, pre-industrial cities.
Radiocentric Plan
Features concentric roads connecting different areas without passing through the center.
Orthogonal Plan
Characterized by intersecting streets.
Urban Activities and Functions
Cities have interconnected functions, increasing in complexity with size.
Residential Role
Requires facilities and infrastructure for residents’ well-being.
Business Function
Cities serve as centers for national and international exchange.
Industrial Role
Industry significantly impacts city development and morphology.
Catalan Urban Problems
Social Segregation
Recent immigration has led to overcrowding and segregation in older neighborhoods.
Catalan Regional Policy
Aims to control land consumption, improve social cohesion, protect urban heritage, enhance public transport, and connect Catalonia with European transport networks.