Reterritorializing intermediate cities. A methodological proposal to delimit urban areas: The case of the provincial capitals of Castilla-La Mancha

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the processes of transformation of cities have escalated, with significant effects on their surrounding areas. The focus has traditionally been on big cities, although the phenomenon has been replicated with particular force at other levels of the urban hierarchy. This study analyses the cases of the provincial capitals of the region of Castilla-La Mancha. We opt for a methodological combination of quantitative and qualitative methods based on the analytic hierarchy process, cluster analysis and researchers appreciations, using different types of variables (related to population, urban land and housing). The aim of the work is to establish a proposal for the concept of urban area and a classification of municipalities according to the dynamics of their development over the selected period (2000-2016). The main conclusions point to a variety of intensity and scope in the urban sprawl processes of intermediate cities in Castilla-La Mancha.