Urban sprawl in the Mediterranean? Patterns of growth and change in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region 1993-2000

• Published in: Landscape and urban planning Vol. 85; no. 3-4; pp. 174 - 184
• Main Authors: CATALAN, Bibiana, SAURI, David, SERRA, Pere
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 30-04-2008
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Southern Europe; Europe; Spain; Urban growth; Dispersed city; Urban form; Catalonia; Urban environment; Compact city; Town; Barcelona; Europe; Metropolitan area; Mediterranean region; Environment quality
• ISSN: 0169-2046; 1872-6062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.11.004

Patterns of growth and change in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (BMR) 1993-2000 were studied. In the Barcelona region, the urban saturation of the metropolitan inner core restricted future growth of the municipality of Barcelona and its conurbation. It was indicated that the cities became welfare foci, and qualitative urban growth in harmony with current social preferences was also essential for their development. It was indicated that the social preferences for a suburban and dispersed life style were not as clear as might be in Anglo-Saxon countries, and there existed a certain preference for urban centrality and proximity. It was also mentioned that the land speculation and the disadvantages related to the frequently denser inner cores were fueling intrametropolitan migrations towards the peripheries.