Urban Expansion and Social Segregation in 19th Century Cities

The Urban Ensanche: Expansion and Development

Between the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, industry attracted the rural population to industrial cities, causing their expansion beyond the city walls. Intermediate and small towns grew less and generally remained within their original boundaries. The areas that expanded created distinct zones:

• Widenings (Ensanches) for the bourgeois and industrial areas.
• Working-class neighborhoods and suburbs.

The Bourgeois Widening (Ensanche)

To create these areas, city walls were demolished, and the sites were used to build walks or boulevards to differentiate these new areas (often called the "new town") from the old city center (the helmet). This widening reflected bourgeois ideals: order, hygiene, and profit generation.

Characteristics at Creation:

• The plan was a regular grid.
• The urban fabric was of low density.
• Buildings were typically mid-rise.
• Land use was primarily for bourgeois residential purposes, given the high prices (e.g., the first widenings in Madrid and Barcelona).

Modifications Over Time:

With the passage of time, these areas experienced significant modifications:

• The plot density increased (the plot thickened).
• Buildings were verticalized, increasing their height.
• Land use shifted towards tertiary functions, which spread, dividing the city into mixed zones (residential, tertiary places, etc.).

Working-Class Neighborhoods and Industrial Suburbs

Industrial facilities were established in the urban periphery. Workers could not settle in the old city due to high prices and overcrowding in existing damaged neighborhoods, nor could they afford the Ensanche. They found accommodation in slums that arose in the suburbs.

Characteristics at Creation:

• Adopted a different urban plan.
• The plot was closed and dense.
• Housing quality was poor.
• Land use was intermingled (residential, workshops, etc.).
• These neighborhoods were prone to infectious diseases.

Current Status and Transformation:

Today, many industrial plants are obsolete or in crisis, having caused environmental degradation. However, these areas have become fully integrated into the city, leading to soil revaluation.

• Less Appreciated Areas: Deserted or derelict lots appeared, often targeted for reuse.
• More Appreciated Areas: Industry has been replaced by tertiary functions.

The old working-class neighborhoods were incorporated into the city. Those closest to the center have been revalued and remodeled. Those further out often remain marginalized.

Landscaped Neighborhoods

These developments were driven by the desire to integrate the countryside into the city environment.

The Garden City Concept

Garden City neighborhoods consisted of houses with gardens. While some had a bourgeois character, most belonged to the middle classes. Legislation played an important part in the creation of these districts, aiming to eliminate cheap, substandard suburban homes. Affordable housing was established, primarily aimed at the middle class.

The Linear City Concept

The Linear City featured a great street lined with single-family houses, each having a garden and orchard. This project was notably developed in Northeast Madrid.

Today, the Linear City concept is heavily modified due to revaluation. Demolition has led to the construction of apartment buildings and shopping centers in place of the original single-family homes.