Socioeconomic Landscape of Spain and Catalonia: An Analysis
Industrial and Post-Industrial Society Characteristics in Europe
Europe is a post-industrial society. The industrial sector, which was the main economic activity on the continent during the twentieth century, has been replaced by the service sector, which now generates more jobs and wealth. This post-industrial society has evolved from an industry-based economy to one focused on services, with the emergence of information and communication technologies playing a significant role.
Indicators: Above
Read MoreUrban Planning and City Types: Definitions and Characteristics
Urban Catchment Area
Urban Catchment Area: A zone structured around a city, on which this area plays a different role.
Historical Center
Historical Center: The part of the current city ranging from its origins to the industrial age. Usually surrounded by a wall, its layout is anarchic, with closed plots, low altitudes, and different land uses.
Urban Center
Urban Center: An urban area where the main tertiary activities are found, characterized by their accessibility, the height of buildings, and a small
Read MoreEuropean Union: History, Institutions, and Economy
Need for a European Commercial Block
Creating a European common market was not a new idea. The first proposals were translated into the variables of the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957 by Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The treaty predicted the prosperity of the European Economic Community (EEC) and saw both economical and political unity, depending on a single internal market. The EEC established policies followed by concrete actions on the free movement of goods,
Read MoreUrban Development and City Morphology in Spain: Focus on Extremadura
Theme City: Geography
Concept of City
A city has the following features:
- Inhabitants engaged predominantly in non-agricultural activities.
- Densely populated urban space.
- Urbanized economic center.
- Services with an important hinterland.
According to the Instituto Nacional de EstadÃstica (INE), a city has more than 10,000 inhabitants. A municipality is a densely populated area. A city is a nucleus occupied by a town, with activities and buildings that are not agricultural. The surrounding space exerts its
Read MoreUrban Development: Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts
Urban Fringe: Industrial Sites, Facilities, and Residential Neighborhoods
The urban fringe forms a large area of nature strips or suburban surroundings of a city and its expansion. In this sector, we can distinguish three main areas:
- Large industrial sites, looking for very cheap land.
- Major facilities: supermarkets, leisure or sports centers, etc.
- Residential neighborhoods, which are basically of four types:
- Slums or shantytowns.
- Private housing developments: tower blocks and flats.
- Social housing.
- Areas
Human Settlements: Urban and Rural Dynamics
**Human Settlements: Urban and Rural Dynamics**
**Settlement**
Settlement is the way to take human settlements in space. Types: rural and urban differ in their dimensions and characteristics.
- Rural settlements include small dimensions, such as villages and towns where the predominant sector is primary.
- Urban population comprises over-sized settlements, cities, and secondary sectors. The population works in the tertiary sector.
**Factors Influencing Rural Population**
- Physical: Relief features, the presence