Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the relationship between internal migration, urbanization and democratization in Spain during the period of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship (1939-1975) and Spain's transition to democracy (1975-1982). Specifically, it explores the production and management of urban space as one form of political and social repression, and examines the relationship between the dictatorship's urban planning regimes and the phenomenon of mass squatting (chabolismo). The book explores the relationship between the spatial practices of the Franco regime and its mechanisms of repression. Then, it examines the process of internal migration and of community-formation within shantytowns (barrios chabolistas) in the 1950s and early 1960s. Finally, it focuses on the formation of neighborhood associations within shantytowns and on their civic and political role during the years of Spain's transition to democracy.