Urban vitality in Madrid
Urban vitality
Urban vitality indicates the capacity of the built environment to foster activities in public space. The JANE index, based on the theories of Jane Jacobs, is used to measure vitality.
Madrid is a city with diverse levels of vitality. The highest values correspond to 28% of the urban core and are found in the densest areas: Centro, Carabanchel, Tetuán, Salamanca, Retiro, Vallecas, Usera, Arganzuela, La Latina, Puente de Vallecas, and Carabanchel.
In contrast, Madrid has areas with very low vitality, mainly located in low-density residential neighborhoods and zones dominated by industrial use, such as Moncloa-Aravaca, Piovera, El Cañaveral, and Barajas.
What does urban vitality depend on?
The degree of urban vitality is the result of various variables that make up the JANE index: spatial concentration, functional diversity, contact opportunities, building diversity, accessibility, and distance to boundary elements.
Spatial concentration
Madrid is a city that concentrates a large number of residential, commercial, and infrastructure activities. The highest values are found in Tetuán, Chamberí, Centro, Arganzuela, Usera, Puente de Vallecas, and Salamanca. The rest of the city’s neighborhoods combine areas of medium spatial concentration with nodes of high spatial concentration. The lowest values are found in monofunctional areas (green spaces, residential zones, and industrial areas) and on the outskirts.
Functional diversity
Madrid is a diverse city where different uses and activities coexist throughout almost the entire municipality. 23% of the urban core has a high functional diversity. The highest values are predominant in Tetuán, Chamberí, Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, and Salamanca, although they are also scattered throughout the rest of the city. The lowest values are found in green areas, residential zones, industrial parks, and on the outskirts.
Contact opportunity
Opportunities for social interaction on the streets of Madrid are diverse. The highest values, present in 26% of the city, are predominant in the dense and compact urban fabric. The neighborhoods with the greatest opportunities for contact and interaction are Salamanca, Centro, Arganzuela, Chamberí, Usera, Tetuán, Retiro, Vicálvaro, and Villaverde.
Areas with lower opportunities for contact are found in parks and gardens, economic activity zones, and low-density residential areas. The neighborhoods with the lowest values include Moncloa-Aravaca, Las Tablas, Montecarmelo, Fuencarral, and parts of Hortaleza, Vallecas, and Barajas.
Diversity of buildings
Madrid is a city where buildings from different periods coexist. The neighborhoods of Tetuán, Chamberí, Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, and Salamanca have the most diverse architectural mix. In contrast, more peripheral neighborhoods such as Carabanchel, Hortaleza, Vallecas, and Barajas combine medium diversity levels with nodes of high diversity. The lowest values are predominant on the outskirts.
Accessibility
Madrid is an accessible city. The highest values cover 38% of the urban core and have a polycentric distribution. Centro, Arganzuela, Tetuán, La Latina, San Blas-Canillejas, Usera, and Carabanchel are the most accessible neighborhoods. Lower values are predominant on the outskirts.
Border elements
In Madrid, the elements that act as barriers to social interaction in public spaces include road infrastructures such as the M-11, M-23, M-30, A-2, A-3, A-4, and A-6 highways, railway infrastructures, the Manzanares River, and large green areas like Casa de Campo, Valdebebas Forest Park, and Juan Carlos I Park.
Location map
