52. The informal Barcelona of shantytowns
Starting in the early 20th century, Barcelona’s rapid growth led to the expansion of shantytowns. Housing schemes were inadequate and by the end of the 1950s shantytowns had reached their peak and were home to 7% of the city’s population.
The structures of the disused anti-aircraft battery on Turó de la Rovira were repurposed to build a new neighbourhood. The shanty-dwellers, organised since 1972 in the Carmel Residents’ Association, fought for improvements in the neighbourhood and to be rehoused along with other shanty-dwellers from the Carmel area. Finally, in 1990 many moved to the new housing estates on the outskirts.