Providing the Modern City: Urban Patterns of Socialist Municipal Action in Madrid (1905-1936)

Abstract

The period between 1900 and 1936 was decisive in the evolution of the city of Madrid, certifying its conversion to a modern European capital. However, the urban transformations in these decades were not uniform and led to noticeable contrasts in the investments made in its different socio-spatial areas. This article will focus on understanding the management and administration of these problems by studying the municipal political action by a socialist movement that gradually stepped up its social support until it took over the reins of the local authority before the Civil War. Starting from the analysis of its actions on three fronts (those implemented on the installations in the areas with the greatest deficits in terms of urbanization, in the field of enhancing subsistence, and in educational facilities), this article will seek to show how socialist policy in the Spanish capital took on an urban profile, in line with European ideas, beyond those that traditionally invoked socio-economic goals.