Deindustrialization and Crisis in the Post-Olympic Barcelona: ¿Towards a Dual City?

Abstract

The transition from industrial to post-industrial society has been accompanied by a set of economic and demographic changes that have triggered significant effects on the social structure of developed countries. The increase in social inequality is one of these effects, especially in urban areas, where socio-residential structure has been affected too. This article analyzes the evolution of social inequality and socio-residential structure in the metropolitan area of Barcelona during the last two decades. The hypothesis is that Barcelona, like others European cities, has not tended in recent years towards a dual city scheme Í€”characterized by the polarization of the social and urban structureÍ€”, which fits better with the American cities. The results confirm this hypothesis and place the Catalan capital city as unequal but not too segregated.