Understanding Urban Systems and Spanish Regional Development

The Intra-Urban System

The intra-urban system refers to all forms and functions that characterize cities as a system where their components (e.g., leisure, work, rest) not only develop but also interrelate with each other. This leads to cities being dynamic fields, with daily population displacements and specific migratory characteristics.

Urban morphology refers to the forms that streets and buildings acquire. There are various types of urban layouts, such as irregular, orthogonal, or radial-concentric patterns.

Buildings can take a variety of forms: individual or collective, open or closed, vertical or horizontal, with diversity based on social conditions.

Urban activities, through legislation or ordinances, attempt to control the emission of waste (including contaminants), the distribution of land use, and waste treatment (e.g., sewage, recycling, landfills).

The Intercity System

An intercity urban system refers to the disposition of different population centers within a territory. This disposition is not uniform but has varying degrees, defined territories, and a hierarchy within each territory.

In these systems, relations within each territory are based on what are called flows, which include:

• Information
• Goods
• Persons
• Services
• Money

Territorial levels typically include:

• Municipal
• District
• Provincial-capital
• Regional
• National
• International

Major Urban Axes of Spain

Galician Axis (Coastal Strip)

This axis is particularly prominent in coastal cities such as Vigo and A Coruña. It is linked to various activities including food production, shipyards, and the automotive industry, as well as industrial and tourism sectors. Currently, it is undergoing a strong reconversion process, primarily affecting shipyards (e.g., Ferrol) and facing challenges in the automotive sector.

Cantabrian Axis

Stretching from Asturias to Navarre, this axis was traditionally associated with mining (coal in Asturias, iron in Vizcaya), the fishing industry, steel metallurgy, chemistry, mechanical engineering, sewing machines, bicycles, and the automotive industry (Navarre).

While the western provinces experienced a severe loss in their activities, population, and dynamism due to reconversion, the Basque Country and Navarre had success in this transformation, actively seeking new activities (e.g., retail, electrical industries).

Levantine Axis

Extending from Catalonia to Murcia, this axis maintains a very dynamic economy due to industrial activities, agriculture, and tourism. Barcelona stands out as a major Spanish metropolis (industry, trade, tourism). The rest of the cities in this axis are also very dynamic, in some cases re-orienting from more traditional activities to those linked to food production, tourism-urban development, furniture, and textiles.

Andalusian Axis

This axis is differentiated by the Guadalquivir Valley (Jaén-Cádiz) and the Coastal areas (Almería-Huelva). The Guadalquivir Valley is closely linked to agricultural activities and furniture production (e.g., Lucena), with Seville serving as a major center.