Territorial networks and planning: land planning in Metropolitan Bilbao

Abstract

The present article argues that the territorial planning is nowadays fundamental instrument to the definition of strategic areas of opportunity, and also, articulating instrument of distinct territory scales (from local to regional). It is restored the importance of distinct levels of planning, listed in chain, of a more general level of regional coverage to specific and local levels. It is demonstrated the importance of this articulation not only for dealing with urgencies in the intra-urban territory ordering to promote the compact city, but also, to develop cities and regions, enhancing the implementation of decentralized and solidary supply chains that characterize a network organization. It is proposed that, the planning instruments and strategic ordering of the territory, aimed at decentralization and creation of new towns or focusing on the redevelopment and recycling of uses and activities in cities and regions in decline with degraded areas, allowing decisions of strategic importance that determine lines, axes and opportunity areas, targets of economic, and social development, and therefore it starts to concentrate investment in infrastructure, serving to enhance the implementation of urban network centers and supply chains, which benefits with the larger planning of urban and regional territory. Because of it, the analysis object is the strategic territorial planning that has been developed and implemented specifically in Spain, underlying plans and actions of urban regeneration, as exemplified by the process is still ongoing in the city of Bilbao, the region north of the country.