Historic Urbanization Process in Spain (1746–2013): From the Fall of the American Empire to the Real Estate Bubble

Abstract

[Abstract]: The aim of the article is to examine the process of urbanization in Spain in the long term. Given the delay in the consolidation of Spanish urban history, the contribution of related disciplines, such as art history and urban planning, geography, and economics is also assessed. Careful attention is paid to the identification of continuities and breaks, as well as to the contextualization of the changes in the cities in relation to their role in the national and international context. The article is divided into four parts. First, an introduction to the evolution of urban history in Spain is provided. Subsequent sections analyze the urban process in three stages: the enlightenment reforms and the end of colonial empire (1746–1833), the end of the Ancient Regime and the new capitalist development (1833–1936), and the transition from dictatorship to the integration into the European Union.