New actors in a modern services sector. The city of Bilbao (1900–1930)

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn the early twentieth century, major Spanish cities lived a process of urban sprawl, population growth and economic modernization. The result was expansion, diversification and innovation in the services sector. Bilbao, a paradigm of the industrial city in Spain, experienced this change and became the centre of an industrial and service urban area. By 1930, almost half of the working population of both sexes were employed in the services sector. This paper analyses the evolution of that sector during the first third of the twentieth century, its composition and characteristics, its spatial distribution in the city and visible innovation indicators. For these purposes, special attention is given to the search for new and original sources.