An end to Spain’s urban morphological isolation?

Abstract

In comparison with North America and other large European countries, Spain has historically had a limited international presence in academic urban morphology. This is remarkable in light of the striking character of Spain’s urban heritage and the large volume of Spanish writing on the country’s urban history and urban form. Possible reasons for this relative international isolation are suggested and the Spanish literature relating to urban morphological themes is reviewed. This literature contains a wide variety of themes, but no distinctive Spanish ‘school’ of urban morphology has emerged. However, the ISUF Conference in 2017 in Valencia signalled a stronger presence of Spanish urban morphologists on the international stage. An analysis of the Spanish contributions at this conference and other recent studies suggests a growing interest in the practical applications of urban morphological research. Spanish urban morphologists may be an integral part of a wider movement to use urban morphology as a ‘tool’ rather than as an end in itself.