23

Is “austerity urbanism” really a new chapter in the history of Mediterranean cities? This article examines this from the case of Spain, resituating recent Spanish urban policies within the national history of the welfare state and local government autonomy. This long-term perspective shows that, except during the first years of the return of democracy, during the 1980s and 1990s, cities and their citizens are used to facing austerity-led policies. Moreover, during Franco’s regime (1939-1975), housing production was progressively assumed by private developers, who soon became the main actors of urban building- and extension of cities, starting from the 1950s.