New models of urban governance in Spain during the post-crisis period: the fight against vulnerability on a local scale

ABSTRACT

Austerity policies and the bankruptcy of the welfare state in Spain since the crisis of 2008 have mobilized the population to demand new models of urban governance, an improvement of basic services (work, health, education and housing) and the right to the city in a context of democratic deepening. The emergence of new leftist parties, a result of the Indignados social movement, is perceived as an alternative to the economic and social consequences of the neoliberal economic model implemented in Spain from the mid-1980s to 2008. Confronting the situation of economic, social and residential vulnerability in which society is immersed requires collaborative, multilevel and network governance. This paper examines the new urban governance models, reflecting on their objectives and challenges. The cases of Madrid and Barcelona, where mayors of leftist parties are carrying out a new plan of city government, are analyzed with a particular focus on supporting the most vulnerable and promoting more collaborative governance. In the medium term, it remains to be seen whether this new model is sustainable or is simply a post-crisis reaction.

KEYWORDS:

• post-crisis
• urban governance
• right to the city
• vulnerability
• citizen empowerment
• Spain

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was supported by two research projects of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER): New Models for Governing Cities and Intervention in Urban Spaces in the Post-Crisis Period (CSO 2016-75236-C2-1-R) and Crisis and Vulnerability in Spanish Island Cities. Transformations in Spaces of Social Reproduction (CSO2015-68738-P).