Movimientos de okupación y políticas públicas urbanas: Los casos de Madrid, Barcelona y Bilbao

The objective of this article is to identify the impacts of the squatting movement on public policies in Spain (1984-2018). Through the hermeneutics of social pro-cesses, three cases are compared (Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao). Quantitative and qualitative data of the following variables are analyzed: 1) history, types, number and visibility of squatting 2) changes in local governments and 3) institutionalization. This is an original study: the impacts of social movements do not usually appear in the academic production of public po-licies and experts in social movements have rarely been interested in specific effects of collective action on these poli-cies. The result of the research is that the squat movement affects decision-makers, through innovations and creativity, which materialize in new housing, and cultural, social or youth policies. This phenomenon is rooted in urban conflicts over which the squat movement deliberately or indirectly exerts pressure as a collateral effect of a disruptive action. The squatting experien-ces are different in the three cities: there are changes and continuities during the period studied and diversity in the level of institutionalization and in the relations between movement and authorities.