VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

This research investigates the spatial and functional transitions between productive and residential urban fabrics in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. Drawing on the ecological concept of ecotones, introduced by Richard T.T. Forman, the study examines these interstitial urban areas as dynamic and contested thresholds where the conflicting logics of production and habitation intersect, overlap, and negotiate coexistence. The analysis traces the historical evolution of these fringes—shaped by industrial decline, real estate pressures, and regulatory rigidity—and identifies the factors contributing to the current fragmentation and marginalization of urban industry. The research argues that understanding these boundaries as transitions rather than rigid borders—as in traditional zoning—could strengthen urban manufacturing permanence and unlock its potential. This perspective reimagines the “residence – industry tolerance areas” established in the 1953 Barcelona Plan Comarcal in light of contemporary modes of production. Through spatial mapping, policy analysis, and fieldwork, the study highlights how productive sectors have been increasingly pressured to convert industrial land into residential or tertiary uses, thereby undermining the potential of the “producing city.” However, these same areas also reveal emerging forms of hybridity—such as mixed-use buildings, service co-location, and small-scale manufacturing—that point to a new urban metabolism. By reframing the productive–residential interface as an ecotone, the study advocates for design and planning strategies that promote coexistence and adaptability rather than segregation. This approach offers a critical pathway toward reimagining the productive city—not as a relic of the past, but as an evolving, resilient component of the urban future.