Tradition and change in southern Europe urbanization

Abstract

The paper aims to compare the paths followed by the Spanish towns and cities during the inter-war period. The starting point is the belief that during this period they underwent a dynamic stage, which was the prelude of another outstanding period of urban growth, the 1950s and 1960s (abruptly interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, 1939-1939). The cities that benefited most were the largest ones, thanks to the rural-urban immigration process. But the small towns lingered behind, losing the course of industrialization. In the midst of the urban hierarchy we find the medium-sized towns, which developed tertiary functions.