Barcelona: Urban Sprawl

Greenfield sites: Areas on the edge of the city which have never been developed in any way. These provide cheap, unpolluted land, with room for expansion.

Greenbelt: The green belt project in Barcelona aims at creating a continuous network of agricultural land and woodland around the city where development is controlled. The main aim is to prevent urban sprawl.

Changes

Causes

Change at the city edge

Car scrap-yards, fields of caravans, car-racing circuits, petrol stations, amusement parks, prisons, teleports, campsites, hotel complexes, golf courses, integrated goods-transport depots, water treatment plants, dumps, all go to make up today's chaotic metropolitan landscape. It is virtually impossible to distinguish between the urban and the rural (or non-urbanisable) land (both visually and legally).

Growth of suburbs, e.g. Sant Just Desvern. Mature families move for improved housing and a higher quality of life

New shopping malls: e.g. Gran Via 2, taking advantage of an increasing car-shopping culture

Airport expansion: to cater for increase in flights, particularly for short-break tourism

High-speed rail link to improve infrastructure

Threats to greenbelt and countryside

High-Tech Park (El Vallès) and Synchrotron development

Out-of-town shopping centres e.g. Caprabo

Growth of urbanisations (residential estates) to provide for counter-urbanisation needs

New university and business park (Viladecans and Castelldefels)

New industrial estates e.g. Sant Boi, Castelldefels

Landfill sites (Garraf Natural Park)

Limestone quarrying (Garraf Natural Park)

Increasing and damaging leisure use (Collserola Park)

Increase in forest fires

Barcelona's Urban Sprawl (graphics)