ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the information and explanations provided in the existing literature on local urban corruption in Spain to examine this phenomenon and to draw lessons. It shows that the Spanish local authorities have been a lucrative and attractive target for corruption, and that certain local authorities have been more prone to corruption than others. The chapter also examines the different explanations given as to why corruption has been more prevalent in certain Spanish local authorities than in others. A vast literature has developed to identify different factors causing or contributing to corruption acts. When addressing why certain actors engage in malfeasance, explanations essentially follow two alternative views on human action: the "logic of consequences" and the "logic of appropriateness". Local urban development in Spain generates large material resources that may act as incentives for corruption. The adoption of local urban plans has huge financial implications, for both landowners and local authorities.
