A methodological proposal of delimitation of basic industrial areas. The Vallès Occidental as example

In recent decades, the appearance of industrial estates in suburban areas, mainly separate from traditional urban stretches, has completely transformed urban landscapes. But, this new territorial model has not been accompanied by setting up new spatial boundaries which would allow for more efficient management or this new emerging territorial reality. This article attempts to contribute to the debate on managing industrial estates by proposing the establishment of basic industrial areas (BIA) that correspond more accurately to the new morphological and organisational forms which urban territory is taking on. The proposal is based on the attempt to establish BIAs in Vallès Occidental, being the region with one of the highest number of industrial estates in Catalonia.