Evolution of Urbanization: Historical Stages and Growth

The Process of Urbanization

1) The process of urbanization occurred in three distinct stages:

Pre-Industrial Urbanization

Until the 19th century, urbanization was modest. No more than 10% of the population lived in cities, and these cities typically had between 5,000 and 10,000 inhabitants. The factors that favored this growth were strategic-military, political, administrative, economic, and religious. Three stages are distinguished:

• A) From the origins to the Middle Ages: It was the Phoenicians and the Greeks who built factories in the peninsula to exploit its resources, resulting in some cities. The Romans created a large number of cities and an urban network linked by means of communication and roads, whose purpose was commercial and military. With the Visigoths, a period of de-urbanization followed.
• B) The Middle Ages: There were two distinct spaces. The Muslim space revived ancient Roman cities and converted them into strategic, administrative, economic, religious, and cultural centers. The Christian space initially had scarce urban life, but it revived after the reconquest of the cities from the Muslims. Commerce reactivated in the 12th and 13th centuries.
• C) The Modern Era: This period is characterized by the urban growth of the 16th century, the urban crisis and stagnation of the 17th century, and the resuscitation of the urban process in the 18th century.

Industrial Urbanization

From the beginning of industrialization in the 19th century until 1975, urbanization experienced great growth. The primary factors were administrative and social. Four stages are distinguished:

• A) Until the mid-19th century: Urban growth affected only the provincial capitals.
• B) From the mid-19th century to the Civil War: Urban growth was especially prominent in industrial cities.
• C) The Civil War and Autarky (1936-1959): This period slowed down the process due to deterioration problems and the supply of cities. Agricultural policy aimed at retaining the rural population in the country, and Franco's autarkic economy supported basic sectors, which led to the development of the Barcelona-Madrid-Cantabrian axis.
• D) Development (1960-1975): This was a stage of intense urban growth due to the expansion of industry.

Post-Industrial Urbanization

The urban growth rate fell into two stages: first, it stabilized in Spanish cities, and then it decreased in metropolises and industrial cities. Urbanization factors changed as industry became less important after the crisis of 1975. Tertiary activities gained importance, especially in large cities and tourist regions. In Madrid and Barcelona, a less advanced tertiary sector dominated by low qualifications emerged. The growth process of large cities slowed in favor of medium and small cities due to saturation and the decentralization of economic activities. This resulted in the dispersion of the urban complex, which extends the city over increasingly large areas. It is in the city where the most relevant functions are concentrated, exercising control over the activities of the surrounding space.