Oportunidades y desafíos de la participación ciudadana en el nuevo PGOU en Bilbao

Résumé

Seems to be little unanimity on the great urban transformation that the city of Bilbao has undergone over the last 15 years. Although this transformation has been vividly felt in the center, more so than in the peripheral neighborhoods of the city, it is widely acknowledge to have improved urban quality and hence the city's urbanism. This article tries to reflect the lights and shadows of such urban developments. The neighborhood movement claims that urban transformations have occurred in an unbalanced way. Bilbao lost its industrial and most productive activity, and transformed eventually into a city of services. Accordingly, it aims to become a more appropriate city for tourism, with a nice center, and more friendly and presentable than before. However, this renewal process has been uneven and underdeveloped in peripheral neighborhoods and suburbs, where most people live. On the other hand, it is critical to recall that urban changes have been financed by public funds although the sale of new homes has been the main economic resource of this urban plan, regardless of more expensive that the price of land and housing in general.