Contemporary Issues in Madrid

Both Madrid’s municipal and regional governments face significant issues involving welfare, primary and secondary education, and regional development.

Most debates focus on the best way to manage rapid urban growth and improve the quality of life within Madrid.

Particularly important are the issues of growing traffic problems and the pollution created by so many automobiles.

In the 1990s the government began to require emission controls on cars and to encourage the use of cleaner types of gasoline. Nevertheless, the pollution problem remains serious.

The city of Madrid and the Autonomous Community have worked closely to develop long-term plans for the region. The results have been mixed.

Two major superhighways were built around Madrid to reduce congestion in the main part of the city, decreasing the travel time from the airport to many central hotels from about an hour to about ten minutes.

However, the number of vehicles continues to grow, aggravating traffic congestion.

Regional plans began to encourage outlying areas to develop residential and industrial zones at the same pace, so that people can live closer to where they work.

In addition, planning efforts have helped public transit keep pace with the city’s physical expansion.

Local government in Madrid confronts the same issues of urban crime and drugs as in other cities.

During the rule of General Franco, the combination of general poverty and heavy police repression kept levels of crime and drug use low.

After Franco’s death in 1975, both problems became more pronounced as government policies changed and personal incomes began to rise.

In particular, tourists are often the target of petty crime. Spain has fairly harsh laws and punishments for drug trafficking, and thus far the problem has not reached the level of other European capitals.