The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the median municipalities of Galicia (Spain): a geographical study on a specific territorial scale

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Published

2022-06-27

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Section

La città “pandemica”: nuove spazialità e relazioni sociali

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/2917

Authors

  • Angel Miramontes Carballada USC - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
  • Ruben Camilo Lois Gonzalez

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on society and, especially, in cities. The concept of the city includes nuclei of very different sizes and functions. Therefore, it is necessary to ask whether the incidence of COVID-19 in the main cities and in the smaller ones has been similar. Due to their characteristics, in Galicia small cities have a series of advantages related to their size, as they are located in the average municipalities that have from 5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants, density, way of life, etc. It is also about understanding whether, as a whole, they have behaved better than the large regional urban centres with respect to the virus, or if their degree of vulnerability is the same due to a great level of compactness and very high densities. This research focuses on the period March-June 2020, with detailed data on COVID-19 infections thanks to a previous research project. The analysis will allow us to conclude if small cities have manifested their own characteristics compared to large ones, or if they have reproduced the same dynamics during the pandemic.

 

La pandemia del coronavirus ha tenido un impacto sin precedentes en la sociedad y, especialmente, en las ciudades. El concepto de ciudad incluye núcleos de muy diferente tamaño y función. Por tanto, cabe preguntarse si la incidencia de la COVID-19 en las principales ciudades y en las más pequeñas ha sido similar. Por sus características, en Galicia las ciudades pequeñas tienen una serie de ventajas relacionadas con su tamaño, ya que se ubican en los municipios medios que tienen de 5.000 a 20.000 habitantes, densidad, forma de vida, etc. También se trata de entender si, en su conjunto se han comportado mejor que los grandes centros urbanos regionales frente al virus, o si su grado de vulnerabilidad es el mismo debido a un gran nivel de compacidad y densidades muy altas. Esta investigación se centra en el periodo marzo-junio de 2020, con datos detallados de contagios de COVID-19 gracias a un proyecto de investigación anterior. El análisis nos permitirá concluir si las ciudades pequeñas han manifestado características propias frente a las grandes, o si han reproducido las mismas dinámicas durante la pandemia.

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Author Biographies

Angel Miramontes Carballada, USC - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

University of Santiago de Compostela, Faculty of Geography and History, Department of Geography, Praza da Universidade, 15782, Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Ruben Camilo Lois Gonzalez

University of Santiago de Compostela, Faculty of Geography and History, Department of Geography, Praza da Universidade, 15782, Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

How to Cite

Miramontes Carballada, A., & Lois Gonzalez, R. C. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the median municipalities of Galicia (Spain): a geographical study on a specific territorial scale. Il Capitale Culturale. Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, (25), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/2917