The ENTREPRENEURIAL URBAN

REGENERATION of BILBAO

Ramiro Aznar Ballarin

Urban Governance and Planning
MSc Urban Sustainability
From the deindustrial crisis to “la
nouvelle Mecque de l’urbanisme”

1950s 2000
 Framework and fundations

• Urban regeneration in the US and UK

• New context of global economy

• New urban politics (Cox, 1993)

• The entrepreneurial government (Harvey, 1989)

The urban revitalization process of Bilbao is
not new or innovative…
• Birmingham
• Baltimore
• Glasgow
• Pittsburgh
…become a global city (Sassen, 2001).
 New urban politics

• A path, trajectory to the desired city

• City’s image, marketing

• The strategies can be presented, justified and

legitimated as the unique, required, clear and
inevitable solutions
 Entrepreneurial government
• “Key locations”

• Big-emblematic projects

• New cultural facilities and trade fair and conference

infraestructure

• Public transport infraestructure

• Big-name architects

• Private-public partnerships
Abandoibarra (Pelli)
Uribitarte (Isozaki)
Guggenheim Museum (Ghery)
 Airport (Calatrava),
tram and
underground (Foster)
 Metamorphosis

Regeneration for whom?