Borderscapes, The influence of national borders on spatial planning:
Case study: Mutual forces: Spain –Morocco / Spain –Gibraltar
Arjan Harbers TOPOTRONIC Urban Planning Mathenesserdijk 388a
NL-3026 GT Rotterdam
telephone 0031(0)108429594 mobile 0031(0)642512628
www.topotronic.nl [email protected]
Coauthor : Kristin Jensen
Topotronic’s project on Borderscapes, The influence of national borders on spatial planning
have been initiated in the year 2000 and resulted in the Borderscapes essay, published in the
book Euroscapes (Amsterdam 2003).
The two case studies from 2005 on borderscapes were made in Spain: The first case of the
border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave Ceuta shows the impact of border on
Ceuta’s spatial planning and how the developments on both sides of the border are being
stimulated as well as being blocked. The second case focuses on the old and established
border between the Spanish mainland and the former British exclave Gibraltar. Here the
border has been a catalyst for development in the Bay of Gibraltar and the mutual reaction
forces of the border sides have permitted the development towards an urban agglomeration of
about 250.000 inhabitants. For the case studies we interviewed local town planners and urban
designers. The case studies compare influences and consequences of mutual forces at the
borders and on their physical appearance - borderscapes - and ask finally how those forces
may be integrated in spatial planning.
Mutual forces along the Spanish border –two case studies about how borders can
accelerate development
Ceuta –Morocco and Gibraltar –Spain, May 2005
This case study researches the existence and nature of borderscapes in the border zones
between Spain and Morocco, and has been carried out using observations at the location and
interviews with experts.
The most significant borderscapes can be found at the border of the mainland: the border
between Gibraltar and Spain on Spanish mainland and the border between Morocco and the
Spanish enclave Ceuta on Moroccan mainland. The Strait of Gibraltar as a natural borderline
between Spain and Morocco hardly leads to significant spatial differences caused by the
border.
Ceuta –Morocco
The borders at the mainland between Spain and Morocco have provable influence on spatial
planning. The border is situated around the isthmus of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave of 28 km2 in
Morocco with 76.000 inhabitants.1 The border line is also an external EU border line, and is
therefore guarded very well on the Spanish side. The natural border line follows two streams.
There are only two border crossings, both on the coast. One of these is on the Atlantic Ocean
near Benzú, where only pedestrians from the neighbouring Moroccan village can pass at day
1
Melilla is another Spanish Enclave in Morocco, which is not taken into consideration in this study
time, in order to work in Ceuta. There is also a border crossing on the Mediterranean Sea.
Almost 13.000 Moroccans pass the border in Ceuta on a daily basis.
Ceuta functions as an island. It has, just like the other Spanish islands, a 50% VAT reduction,
which explains the concentrations of petrol stations near the ferry to Algeciras. Ceuta is partly
autarkic. It has its own water reservoirs, an electricity plant and a desalination plant. A water
clearing plant is under construction at the moment. A helicopter service to Malaga runs
frequently.
Differences in legislations in the border area
Identifying borderscapes in Ceuta is not so easy. The financial, cultural and religious
differences between Spain and Morocco are evident and become visible as such. An exception
is the accumulation of industrial functions like a scrapyard, a quarry and a recycling-station
within 200m of the Benzú border to Morocco. On the other side of the border the Moroccans
initiated a cemetery that through its location on the slope of the valley is only visible in Ceuta.
The large frontier at the Mediterranean Sea attracts a lot of informal economy. On the Spanish
side, a business area known as “Polygon Tarajal”is situated directly at the border. It is a cross
between a market and a wholesaler. Here Moroccans buy alcohol, amongst other things, and
have their car tyres exchanged. One presumes that the wholesaler is only located at the border,
to push the irritation it causes to the periphery of the city.
The first big city after crossing the frontier is called Fnideq (Los Castillejos in Spanish). The
inhabitants of Ceuta call it “El Corte Ingles de Ceuta”, because Los Castillejos is Ceuta’s
shopping paradise, mostly consisting of goods with fake brand names. Thanks to Ceuta’s
proximity, Fnideq is growing steadily (it now has 53.000 inhabitants).
Many of Ceuta’s inhabitants own cottages in Morocco. Much money, however, is being
invested in the bay of Algeciras, since the people do not trust Ceuta’s future as a Spanish
enclave.
The influences of the border on Ceuta’s spatial planning have not become very clear as yet.
Ceuta is actually functioning like an island. The developments on both sides of the border are
being stimulated as well as being blocked by the border situation.
Bay of Gibraltar / Bay of Algeciras
The border line has been a catalyst for development in the Bay of Gibraltar. Thanks to mutual
reaction forces, the bay has developed towards an urban agglomeration of about 250.000
inhabitants. A chronology:
The original population chose to leave Gibraltar after an English-Dutch fleet conquered the
strategically situated rock in the year 1704. The population of Gibraltar founded three new
towns just a stone’s throw from Gibraltar in the Bay, Los Algeciras, Los Barrios and San
Roque. The new inhabitants that came to Gibraltar were from Genoa, Portugal, England and
Morocco.
Gibraltar now has 28.600 inhabitants; San Roque has 24.000 inhabitants, Los Barrios 18.000
inhabitants and Algeciras 102.000 inhabitants2
On the Spanish side of the border, a linear defensive fortification was constructed in the 18th
century: La Línea de Contravalación de la Plaza de Gibraltar. Behind this fortification is
where the city La Línea de la Concepción started (in short “La Linea”(now 60.000
inhabitants)). La Línea developed into a suburb of Gibraltar. Many people that were working
in Gibraltar lived in La Línea. The border was closed by Spain until the 1950s, and the 4600
Spanish commuters were no longer able to reach their work in Gibraltar3. This resulted in a
high unemployment rate in La Línea. From then on, Gibraltar started recruiting cheap labour
in Morocco.
In 1969, as a compensation for the unemployment and as a provocation towards Gibraltar, the
head of state at that time, Franco, planned an oil refinery and a large industrial plant in the
Guadarranque nature reserve in the Bay of Algeciras. This location was - from a planner’s
point of view –far from suitable, and furthermore it generated more employment than the
region needed, causing a growth in population in Algeciras. La Línea, however, was not
affected. Many people left for Great Britain, since they already spoke English. The number of
inhabitants almost halved from 100.000 to 60.000. The city was left with a high crime rate
and a high unemployment rate. After reopening the border for pedestrians in 1982 and for all
traffic in 1985, La Línea revived.
The borderland
Now in 2005, the political situation is relaxed. The level of prosperity between Spain and
Gibraltar is almost equal. 20.000 commuters and tourists cross the border every day.
Nevertheless, the border has clear characteristics of a borderscape. Mutual provocations and
boasting have influenced the borderland on both sides.
First there is the airport of Gibraltar. The landing strip is situated parallel to the border,
meaning the frontier has to be closed temporarily as soon as airplanes land or take off. The
airport only has flight connections to London and Manchester. Spain does not allow flights to
and from Gibraltar. Half of the noise disturbance is nevertheless accounted by Spain. Thanks
to the tall radio antenna that Spain placed at the border, the Gibraltarians are able to listen to
the Spanish radio, but their airplanes have to make odd manoeuvres to be able to use the
landing strip.
Furthermore, there used to be a neutral zone on the Spanish side of the border until recently; a
no man’s land. This zone is being developed into a park-, leisure-, and residential zone, meant
to provoke Gibraltar. After all, Gibraltar’s 6.5 km2 are “full”and Gibraltar needs to reclaim
land from the sea in order to expand. In front of the historic town, there is a polder in the sea,
where all new developments have taken place since the 1980’s. Soon new land reclamation
will take place at the eastside of the peninsula.
2
3
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica 2001
This was 1/3 of the working population at that time
Rules
Gibraltar is privileged compared to Spain and the United Kingdom. It can partly determine its
own laws. In some aspects it is autarkic. The difference in laws expresses itself in the spatial
developments. Gibraltar has its own desalination plant, its own airport and its own hospital.
Thanks to advantageous tax tariffs and an own legislation, there is a high number of petrol
stations, jewelleries, betting offices, banks (offshore banking) and retail of alcohol, cheese,
sugar and cigarettes. The combination of many non-transparent rules and the possibility for
politicians to decide quickly and flexibly on new demands, paired with the current taxbenefits (until 2010), makes Gibraltar an attractive breeding ground for companies. A total of
30.000 companies have been registered (for a population of 28.000!). On the other hand, La
Línea is attracting Gibraltarians because of its cheaper housing, furniture sales, car repairs,
vegetables and its market. The Spanish legislation is more liberal concerning opening hours
than the Gibraltarian legislation. On Friday nights, many Gibraltarians cross the border to visit
one of the many pubs or tapas bars in La Línea.
The ports of Gibraltar and Algeciras do not really compete with each other. Because of its
legislations (free port), Gibraltar cherry-picks the best things. Cruise ships, a marina, dry-dock
and bulk ships. Contrary to the rest of the EU, the port of Gibraltar accepts ships without a
double safety bottom. Algeciras is mainly a container-port and a ferry-port with connections
to Ceuta and Tangier.
One can postulate that the border has had a huge influence on the bay of Gibraltar. The border
situation has functioned as a catalyst for spatial and demographic developments. Without a
border, one can assume that the Bay of Gibraltar would have been part of the touristic Costa
del Sol. Although there are tourists, the bay is better characterized as an industrial and
economic zone.
May 2005
Topotronic Brussels / Rotterdam
Arjan Harbers and Kristin Jensen
Thanks to the people who we interviewed:
Victor Cobos, architect, La Línea, May 22, 2005
Paul Naughton and Paul Orilo, city administration, Gibraltar May 24, 2005
Pedro Lechuga, city administration, Algeciras May 25, 2005
Antonio Saiz, city administration, Tarifa May 25, 2005
Luis Modet, urban planner, San Roque, May 26, 2005
Javier Arnaiz, city administration, Ceuta, May 28, 2005