Rural and Urban Settlements in Spain: Types and Transformations

Spain: Rural and Urban Settlements

Rural Settlement Types

• The dispersed settlement is typical of the northern peninsula.
• The predominant type of settlement in rural areas of the peninsula is concentrated.

Spanish Rural Houses

• Stone houses (predominantly in the mountainous periphery).
• Mud houses (interior peninsular, Valencia, and Murcia orchards).
• Buildings of mixed wood (wood, stone, or clay) are in rural areas of the Basque Country, the Central System, and the Iberian System.

Transformations in the Rural World

• Rural mountainous interiors of the peninsula were affected by the rural exodus.
• Rural communities located in coastal areas experienced a radical transformation.
• Rural populations close to large urban cities have taken office.

Urban Settlement in Spain

The urban population has undergone transformations in our country:

• Cities are centers of tertiary activities.
• Large metropolitan areas.
• The major cities of some large metropolitan areas have lost population, and nearby population centers have grown.
• The growth of cities is organized through urban plans.
• The historic districts, the extensions, and the most dilapidated urban areas have been rehabilitated.
• Some towns have done many projects that have modernized the image of the city.
• Communication and transportation systems have been expanded and improved.

The Structure of the Current City

Urban Center

• Old Quarter
• Residential and urban development
• Former working-class neighborhoods

Urban Fringe

• Residential areas
• Industrial areas
• Areas of equipment and services

Spanish Urban Hierarchy and Network

National Cities

The metropolitan areas of Madrid and Barcelona, exceeding 4.5 million inhabitants, belong to this rank.

Regional Metropolises

These are the metropolitan areas of Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Bilbao, Malaga, and Zaragoza (500,000 to 1,500,000 inhabitants).

Sub-Metropolises

Settlements located between 250,000 and 500,000 inhabitants, such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Murcia, Mallorca, Valladolid, Cordoba, and Vigo.

Medium Cities

Between 50,000 and 250,000 inhabitants, such as Burgos, Albacete, Badajoz, Almeria, Leon, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Small Towns

Does not reach 50,000 inhabitants, such as Plasencia, Mieres, Calatayud, and Medina del Campo.

Spanish Urban Network

• It is peripheral: Most large and medium cities are located on the periphery.
• It is bicephalous: It is highlighted by Madrid and Barcelona as metropolitan areas.
• It is divided into geographical areas: northern third, Mediterranean axis, interior peninsular, Andalusia, and island regions.