The dynamics of metropolitan peripheries: Ongoing changes in residential development in the North-Western corridor of the Madrid region

Abstract

This paper examines the ongoing transformations of residential development underway in the North-Western corridor of the Madrid metropolitan region, which are a consequence of a deconcentration process that has affected the capital of Spain over several decades. It also outlines the historical forces that have paved the way for the contemporary suburbanisation process. This part of the Madrid region, traditionally used for animal husbandry or leisure activities for wealthy social classes, was later occupied by second homes. In recent years we have observed a transformation of these second homes into principal residences, together with a construction of brand-new primary residences. This is linked to the rise in housing prices occurring in central Madrid, which has fostered a centrifugal movement of population. This process has particularly affected single-family housing.