Urban Planning in Salamanca and Madrid

Overview of Salamanca

• Salamanca: a district in Madrid with a grid layout and major boulevards.
• Amenities: Offers bakeries, shops, restaurants, and excellent public transport.
• Affluent area but the basics of what makes it pleasant are common in Madrid.

Madrid's Urban Design

• Madrid is well-designed overall.
• Salamanca was planned from the top-down with a visible grid system and blocks.

Historical Context

• Late 1800s: Industrialization led rural folks to city centers.
• City leaders developed plans to avoid urban problems.
• Plan Cerda in Barcelona and Plan Castro in Madrid.
• Plan Castro: Planned the first expansion of Madrid outside old city walls.
• Old stock neighborhoods: Known for walkability, density, and transit access.

Comparison with North America

• Pre-1950s North America: Urban core with high density and mixed-use, connected to city center by trams.
• Post-1950s: Urban highways and changes led to reduced density and increased car dependence in suburbs.
• Suburbs in N. America: Became exclusively residential, car-dependent, and distant from economic centers.

Madrid's Expansion

• Presence of urban highways, but not built on former neighborhoods, mostly on empty/farmland.
• Density across highways similar to city center.
• Postwar Madrid: Expanded gradually through dense neighborhood planning.

Neighborhood Planning in Madrid

• Elliptical, grid-style neighborhoods with multi-story apartment buildings and central courtyards.
• Commercial elements on ground level.
• Sensible planning ensured metro area is not car-dependent.

Comparison with US Suburbs

• Example: Northern Dallas suburbs expanding with low density, car-dependent development.
• Environmental impact: Farmland converted to low-density housing.

Public Transport in Madrid

• Public transit system: One of the best globally.
• Serves nearly 6.8 million people with
  • 12 metro lines
  • 10 suburban lines
  • 3 tram lines
  • 200 bus lines
• Trip statistics in metro area:
  • 34% walking
  • 25% public transit
  • 39% by car
• 69% of trips do not involve cars.

Additional Considerations

• Critiques exist on the integration of these neighborhoods with the rest of the city.
• Madrid River Plan: Transformed a highway into a park.

Conclusion

• Acknowledgement of potential inaccuracies in the presented information.
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