Suburbanization and reurbanization processes in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region: an analysis of residential mobility

Arlinda Garcia-Coll, Universitat de Barcelona
Cristina López, Universitat de Barcelona
Gemma Vila, Universitat de Barcelona

This paper focuses on residential mobility within the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (BRM) based on intra-metropolitan flows from 2002 to 2014. By analysing time-series trends in this case study, we engage with geographic debates about processes of suburbanization and re-urbanization. Our analysis is based on matrices of origin-destination migration flows between the BRM municipalities grouped according to their degree of compactness (high density municipalities) or dispersion (low density municipalities). Using this classification, it is possible to distinguish between those migrants moving from compact to dispersed municipalities and those moving in the opposite direction. The primary aim is therefore to contribute to the debate on alternating or parallel phases of de-concentration and concentration in urban development. The second aim is to complement this analysis by characterizing each identified migration flows using microdata from the individual migrant register database, the Estadística de Variaciones Residenciales. In this case, the objective is to establish differential socio-demographic profiles (by sex, age and nationality) for the migrant flows involved in the geographical exchanges. Keywords: Barcelona Metropolitan Region; residential mobility; suburbanization; suburbanization; urban sprawl; urban compactness.