Urban and Rural Structures: Spain’s Transformation
Transport Infrastructure: The network commonly used to distinguish roads, railways, air routes, canals, pipelines, etc., including nodes like airports, railway stations, bus terminals, and ports. This system facilitates the movement of passengers, vehicles, and goods. Regulation (EEC) No 1108/70 defines “transport infrastructure” as all routes and fixtures necessary for vehicle movement and safety across rail, road, and inland waterways.
Urban Structures
Historical Center
The oldest part of a city, typically holding the most artistic and historical value, with buildings from various periods.
Ensanche
Nineteenth-century planned urban expansions designed primarily for the bourgeoisie. These feature high-quality grid layouts, separated from the historic center by wide streets (often replacing former city walls). Examples include Barcelona and Madrid’s Salamanca district, while Palma de Mallorca showcases a radial expansion.
Central Business District (CBD)
The hub of business, entertainment, and media services. It concentrates businesses, administration, banks, etc., and is characterized by accessibility, traffic density, and high-rise buildings due to land prices. Its location can vary, often within extensions, surrounding areas, or sometimes the historic center.
Urban Hierarchy
This concept considers a city’s relationship within a region or country, based on population size, function, and influence. In Spain, the hierarchy descends from the state capital to regional cities, provincial capitals, and intermediate cities.
Metropolitan Area
Urban sprawl around a large city (e.g., Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao) comprising independent municipalities with strong economic ties. Key features include a central city with significant size and complexity, commuting workers, geographic contiguity, and a developed transport system. Metropolitan areas typically divide into: downtown (old city and extensions), sub-metropolitan area (suburbs with residential, industrial, and service areas), and suburban area (outer periphery).
Conurbation
The phenomenon of two independent cities merging physically (while retaining autonomy) due to growth. Common in coastal areas driven by tourism, such as Benalmádena and Torremolinos in Malaga, and also seen in Tarragona, Vilaseca, and San Sebastián de los Reyes/Alcobendas near Madrid.
Urban Sprawl
Poorly controlled growth of urban settlements, typically low-density, into rural areas, often involving housing developments and infrastructure.
Swings
Temporary, daily migrations within metropolitan areas, often between bedroom communities and the central city, driven by work or education.
Urban Management Plan
The primary tool for urban planning, outlining land use, classification (urban, urbanized, non-urban), roads, facilities, and environmental/heritage protection measures. Partial plans detail the general plan for specific urban areas, supplemented by special plans for specific projects.
Rural Structures
Intensive Agriculture
High-yield farming in limited space using techniques like seed selection, fertilizers, irrigation, and crop rotation. Costly but productive, it’s common in areas with scarce arable land and high populations, such as Spain’s Levant region.
Extensive Agriculture
Cultivation of large areas with low yields per unit area. Less investment and sometimes traditional techniques (e.g., fallow) are used. Typical in Spain’s central plateau for cereal production.
Ranching
Large herds in expansive spaces, adapted to the climate, focused on meat, wool, and hides. Low labor, care, and cost, utilizing pastures and rangelands.
Intensive Farming
High-density livestock in barns or stables, using selected breeds. Advantages include smaller land requirements, high yields, and better health control, but feed costs and technical expertise are higher.
Farm Land
The technical-economic unit for agricultural production. Can be a large estate (latifundio) or small farm (minifundio), regardless of ownership structure.
Agrarian Landscapes
Natural landscapes modified for agricultural production. Key elements include plots, cropping systems, population, and land characteristics.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Established in 1961 (Spain joined in 1986) to support farmers’ livelihoods, stabilize market prices, and ensure consumer supplies.
Industrial Transformations
Industrial Restructuring
Policies addressing industrial crises, involving layoffs, production adjustments, and economic reorganization. Spain’s metallurgical sector underwent significant restructuring in the 1980s. Reindustrialization aims to create conditions for profitable and socially responsible business development.
Industrial Offshoring
Shifting production to other countries, often with lower social protections, wages, and environmental regulations. Market factors like access to resources and transportation also play a role.
High-Tech Industries
Employ scientists and engineers, invest heavily in R&D, and have high growth potential through new products and processes. Includes manufacturing, communications, software, biotechnology, clean environments, engineering, and research.
Outsourcing
The tertiary sector replacing roles in other sectors. Prominent in developed countries, particularly in large cities and tourist areas like Madrid and the Balearic Islands.
Sustainable Development
Meeting present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own. Emphasizes rational resource use and ecosystem protection, involving public awareness, scientific solutions, and government regulation.