Reconstructing the Spatial Distribution of Madrid’s Administrative Elite in 1920s

Diego Ramiro Fariñas, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Julia de las Obras Loscertales, Spanish National Research Council
Aitor Garcia Aguirre, Spanish National Research Council
Dariya Ordanovich, IEGD-CCHS Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Michel Oris, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (csic)
Stanislao Mazzoni, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Urban segregation processes are a long-standing phenomenon, present since pre-industrial cities. During the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of working-class neighborhoods near factories, together with advances in transportation and technology, marked a turning point by intensifying the spatial separation between rich and poor. However, research on urban segregation has focused primarily on the lower classes, paying little attention to the residential patterns of the upper classes and the role of the elite in shaping the city. This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution of the upper classes in Madrid in 1920, a period characterized by significant urban and social transformations. Using historical records containing information on the residences of political figures, and using georeferencing techniques with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the study examines the settlement patterns of Madrid’s elite, identifying areas of concentration and potential indicators of segregation. The research delves into the spatial distribution and segregation of the elite, incorporating this perspective into the urban analysis of the period. Furthermore, by comparing these historical patterns with the current urban structure, it becomes possible to identify processes of continuity and change, as well as recent dynamics of social and urban transformation. This approach contributes to a better understanding of the history of urban segregation in Madrid and provides insights into how the decisions and practices of the powerful classes influence the structure and evolution of cities.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 42. Settlement Patterns and Inequality