Recovering the urban concept of district. Urban units and urban regeneration in Castile and Leon

Abstract

The growing importance of urban regeneration —Law 8/2013, on Urban Rehabilitation, Regeneration and Renovation and Autonomous Community Laws— requires a more precise and coherent organisation of the urbanised land in the existing city. Some Autonomous Communities have been introducing novel concepts regarding sectoring urban land, and its usefulness for urban regeneration may be essential. In particular, Castile and León has proposed the concept of the “urban units”, whose conditions and possibilities are intended to be analysed, also evaluating the perspectives opened up by other Autonomous Community legislations. To achieve this, the focus on the urban units in the revision work of the General Urban Plan of Valladolid is presented, trusting in the possibilities of this concept. The methodology applied in order to evaluate its urban conditions —density, facilities, etc.— is also shown. Previously disciplinary antecedents such as the neighbourhood unit are analysed. After a synthesis of the analogies in other Autonomous Communities legislation, the criteria defining the urban units in Castile and Leon are addressed as its urban legislation has been innovative as regards boosting urban regeneration. This demonstrates the usefulness of the concept of urban units for the diagnosis of the consolidated urban space, but also its role as an instrument for the organisation of the urbanised land which, starting from an integral vision of the existing city, facilitates the regeneration of its spaces. The dynamism of urban legislation cannot ignore this practice and must not forget that, as proposed by the integrated approach, it is capable of linking society with the policies aimed at making the city more liveable.