The Neoliberal Legal Systems and the Implications for Madrid’s Urban Spaces An Analysis of the New Regulatory Framework ‘Citizen Security Protection Act of 4/2015’

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Cover image: Aerial view of Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Arto Marttinen on Unsplash.
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Published: Dec 31, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v8i1.1648
Keywords:
geography social justice the right to the city inclusion city transformation right to protest

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Eva Sanchez Alvarez
The University of Manchester

Abstract

This paper explores the topic of social justice and the Right to the City as experienced through the enforced regulation ‘Gag Law’ in Madrid. This policy has been explored up-taking a Foucauldian view-use and organisation of space, and using the concept of the Right to the City developed by Lefebvre. Hence, the ‘Gag Law’ has aimed to prohibiting undesirable protests, restraining political rights and the right to protest. Evaluating the case study of Madrid, results demonstrate that the fusing control and the claim to ‘community safety’ of neoliberal agendas, caused a shrinking of democratic rights in the Spanish city. The main objective has been to stress the importance to allow for a deeper understanding of urban policy implications on citizen’s rights.

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How to Cite
Sanchez Alvarez, E. (2023) “The Neoliberal Legal Systems and the Implications for Madrid’s Urban Spaces: An Analysis of the New Regulatory Framework ‘Citizen Security Protection Act of 4/2015’”, The Journal of Public Space, 8(1), pp. 93–102. doi: 10.32891/jps.v8i1.1648.
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2023): Research Perspectives
Section
Articles
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Author Biography

Eva Sanchez Alvarez, The University of Manchester

Recent graduate in BA Geography at The University of Manchester (2018-2021), Eva pursues Masters degree in MSc Urban planning and management at Aalborg University (Denmark), to deepen understanding of urban environments from 2021-2023, with an ERASMUS at TU Berlin (Germany), where she explores gendered urban planning perspectives for her masters thesis, successfully engaging with initiatives such as 'Her City' and gender mainstreaming. This leads to the promotion of the importance of intersectionality in urban planning and architecture projects at the local and national levels.

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