Coping with Metropolitan Dynamics. The Metropolitan Plan of Barcelona.

Abstract

The adoption in April 2010 of the Barcelona Metropolitan Plan (PTMB) is a remarkable novelty in the panorama of spatial planning and urban policies in Spain. Indeed, despite the deepening of the metropolitan dynamics, the large Spanish cities have not known in recent years a significant advance in metropolitan planning. In this context, the PTMB, that comes to close more than 50 years of controversy and failed attempts, presents some aspects of remarkable interest from both academic and policy perspectives. The article analyzes the document, with special emphasis on methodological issues, technical aspects and administrative procedures. Thus, the work is divided into three sections: the first one examines the legal nature of the plan, the second describes the process of drafting and approval, and finally the third section presents the contents of the Plan in reference to open spaces, urban settlements and infrastructures. A brief conclusion closes the paper.