Exploring Spanish Municipalities and Analyzing Building Age Patterns
Buildings occupy distinct layers that shape the urban landscape. Our focus lies on delving deep into Spanish municipalities and regions, leveraging a comprehensive dataset of European buildings.
Building age serves as a valuable indicator, presenting diverse outcomes that extend beyond a mere average mean. It provides insights into various scenarios, not only limited to non-dynamic towns where economic development has stagnated for decades. In fact, some towns boasting larger historical city centers and neighborhoods can simultaneously have a higher proportion of historical buildings and a dynamic economy. It becomes evident that economic growth can coexist harmoniously with the preservation of significant historical urban fabric. Here, urban policies and strategies surrounding urban renewal play a pivotal role, offering a choice between demolition or conservation approaches.
The percentage of buildings dominated by new constructions can be attributed to recent developments as well as higher rates of urban renewal, leading to the substitution of older structures with newer counterparts. This duality presents two distinct strategies—one more inclined towards real state economy where bigger urban operations are made or another where urban economics are less dependent on urban renewal. In recent year housing scarcity and the rise of touristic accomodations are putting more and more pressure on urban renovations.
Old buildings bear immense importance, particularly for touristic cities. However, Spain experienced a burst in the real estate bubble during the 2000s, resulting in an overproduction of new apartment units in many cities with fewer demand. The country actively promoted large-scale real estate developments, significantly altering the urban extent and landscape. The tourism of sunny beaches differs from a more cultural perspective where interior cities can benefit, or in some cases these models can even coexist.
Now, the question arises: Are old buildings truly significant? In our dataset, we focus on analyzing three key variables - age, surface area, and population -and their spatial distribution. This serves as a foundation for future posts, where we will explore their connections with visitor patterns, economic performance, urban vibrancy, and various other urban planning topics.
Drawing on existing studies and real-world evidence, our exploration aligns with the theory of urban assemblages. By examining the interplay between building age and the urban fabric, we shed light on the complexities and intricacies of urban dynamics. Through this interdisciplinary approach, we aim to uncover the underlying relationships and provide valuable insights for urban planning practices.
By analyzing key variables and their spatial distribution, we aim to provide valuable insights for urban planning practices, shedding light on the dynamic nature of cities and the importance of balancing preservation with progress.
Distribution of Average Percentage of Old Buildings (Built Before 1950 by province)
The Distribution of Average Percentage of Old Buildings (Built Before 1950 by Province) provides valuable insights into the spatial patterns of building age across Spain. The map illustrates the total number of buildings in each province, represented by the percentage of structures built before 1950 (considered old buildings). Meanwhile, the accompanying chart delves into the distribution of the average percentage of old buildings within each municipality across the provinces. It is worth noting that data for the Basque Country and Navarra is not available.
Upon initial observation, provinces with lower population and economic dynamism, such as Soria and Teruel, which are representative of the so-called "España Vaciada" (Empty Spain) phenomenon, exhibit a higher percentage of older buildings, hovering around 55%. Additionally, Teruel and Soria display remarkably similar distribution patterns.
Northern Spain demonstrates a larger share of older buildings compared to the central and southern regions. Coastal provinces and the Canary Islands, on the other hand, tend to have a lower proportion of older buildings.
The two major metropolises of Spain, Madrid and Barcelona, showcase contrasting trends. Barcelona still has municipalities with a higher concentration of old buildings, whereas Madrid has witnessed more recent developments in recent years, leading to a lower percentage of old buildings.
Despite the provincial choropleth map, significant heterogeneity is evident in the distribution of old buildings at the municipal level. Provinces such as La Rioja, Lleida, or Huelva display relatively flat distributions, indicating a lack of spatial similarity between municipalities and the existence of distinct contextual factors.
As a conclusion it exist diverse contexts and distinct patterns of urban development, highlighting the need to consider municipality-level data for a comprehensive understanding of building age dynamics.
The two largest metropolises in Spain, Madrid and Barcelona, exhibit contrasting trends in building age. Barcelona is characterized by municipalities that still retain a higher proportion of old buildings, reflecting the preservation of historical urban fabric.In contrast, Madrid has witnessed a surge in recent developments in recent years, indicating a greater emphasis on newer constructions.
Bigger Cites (+40.000 hab)
The left chart provides an insightful representation of the data, with the x-axis depicting the population and the y-axis showing the percentage of buildings built before 1950. The colors on the chart represent different Autonomous Communities, while the size of the bubbles indicates the number of old buildings per municipality. It is important to note that the chart represents the total number of buildings and not the built space, as shown in the municipality map.
Despite its larger size, Madrid has a lower number of old buildings compared to Barcelona, with 27,000 old buildings in Madrid compared to 33,000 in Barcelona. Barcelona and Valencia, the second and third largest cities in Spain respectively, have experienced population growth in recent decades while maintaining an average of around 40% of old buildings within their urban fabric.
Catalonia stands out with a higher representation of cities that have a higher percentage of old buildings compared to Andalusia. Interestingly, cities renowned for their rich cultural heritage such as Seville, Granada, and Cordoba do not rank among the highest in terms of the proportion of old buildings. Instead, Cadiz holds the distinction of having the highest share of old buildings.
Conversely, the Madrid Region is characterized by a concentration of cities with newer buildings, with only Madrid and Aranjuez surpassing a 10% share of old buildings. The presence of old buildings in city centers or outer neighborhoods significantly influences the overall ranking in this chart, which may deviate from popular touristic perceptions. Additionally, it may reflect the polycentric nature of cities and the different periods of urban expansion they have undergone.
10 TOP CITIES WITH OLD BUILDINGS
Catalonia stands out with four out of the top ten cities having the highest average percentage of old buildings. These cities include Barcelona, Vilafranca del Penedes, Badalona, and Sabadell.
The ranking of cities with the highest number of old buildings does not align with their population rankings. For example, cities like Murcia, Palma, and Cartagena have a greater number of old buildings compared to Seville, which is the fifth largest city in terms of population.
10 TOP CITIES WITH NEW BUILDINGS
Madrid and the Andalusian coast are regions that comprise municipalities with newer urban fabric, accounting for less than 1% of their overall buildings.
In the suburban region of Madrid, cities such as Tres Cantos, Rivas Vaciamadrid, and Coslada were developed after 1950, with minimal preexisting buildings. These areas represent examples of newer urban developments.
Similarly, Roquetas del Mar in Almeria province and Benalmadena in Malaga are additional illustrations of cities built more recently, centered around tourism and service industries.
TOP RANKED CITIES
As an appendix, we have chosen two examples that exemplify different aspects of urban fabric: the city of Cadiz; showcasing a higher concentration of older buildings with of the most famous buildings, such as the stunning Gran Teatro Falla, and Rivas-Vaciamadrid - Spanish city characterized by newer urban development.
Cadiz is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, with a history dating back over 3,000 years. Cadiz is known for its rich cultural heritage, historic landmarks, and port. It geographical situation in a peninsula creates an island effect that preserves its character.
Rivas Vaciamadrid has a more recent history. Until the mid-20th century, it was primarily an agricultural area with a small population. With the growth of Madrid and the demand for housing, Rivas Vaciamadrid began to urbanize in the 1970s and 1980s. The town experienced a rapid increase in population and infrastructure development during the following decades, turning it into a suburban community of Madrid’s capital
Conclusions
The concentration of old buildings in municipalites in northern interior Spain can be attributed to factors such as stagnant demographic growth and limited economic dynamism. These areas exhibit a higher proportion of older buildings, reflecting their historical development patterns.
Major capital cities like Valencia and Barcelona have emerged as significant tourist destinations due to their urban environments, which successfully preserve substantial portions of traditional urban fabric while maintaining economic vibrancy.
In the case of other important tourist cities like Seville or Granada, although they have experienced urban growth since the 1950s, their historical cores still account for around 15% to 20% of all buildings, establishing them as heritage cities with a rich cultural legacy.
Newer cities in the Madrid region, with percentages of old buildings below 1%, function as satellite neighborhoods of the capital. These areas have attracted new residents as demographic growth and increased pressure for housing have led to the development of new cities like Tres Cantos and Rivas Vaciamadrid.
Next Steps
Analyze the delimitation of areas of interest (pedestrians most used zones) and historical cities.
Polycentric cities versus radial cities.
Tourism and concentrations of historical urban cores.
Urban design patterns in Areas of Interest (pedestrians most used zones)