The Dispute over the Future: The Case of the City of Madrid

Abstract

Considering the spatial turn in social sciences, this study aims to demonstrate, through a case study (urban intervention in the city of Madrid), the relevance of incorporating a spatial dimension into social studies of time, particularly as regards future imaginaries. Therefore, we analyze conflicting visions of a contested future. Following the effects of homology, the goal is to identify the occupation of specific social positions (as well as certain physical spaces) with attitudes either in favor or against the intervention in question. To achieve this, we conducted interviews with 5 individuals supporting the intervention and 5 opposing it, seeking to explain their criteria and motivations. Based on these interviews, we propose 4 ideal types of social agents based on their attitudes towards the future, distributed as polar types.