Deindustrialization and post-industrial cities in Iberia Peninsula

Abstract

This article addresses the process of industrialization and deindustrialization in Iberia Peninsula from the early XX century to the dawn of the XXI century. Specifically, it focuses on the dynamic territorial processes which led to a general deindustrialization trend in many industrial Iberian strongholds, since the early 1970s. Furthermore, it explores one case-study (Barreiro city in Portugal), which was known as the first, and most important modern Portuguese industrial city, and which has suffered from a violent process of deindustrialization in the last couple of decades. In synthesis, this article builds on the Barreiro experience in adapting to a new panorama where the industrial landscape is no longer a prevalent one, and assesses the role of the national and EU policies in supporting these adaptation processes.