The boulevards of the Ibiza neighborhood in Madrid: from a modern paradigm of urbanity to the contemporary standardization of public space

The article analyzes the boulevards that characterize the public space of the Ibiza neighborhood in the Retiro district of Madrid, as it is considered a unique urban space in which history, culture and nature converge in an exemplary way, with the aim of recognizing the processes and urban tensions that have marked its conception and affected its development from its origin at the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. The content is divided into three sections. The first focuses on the historical contextualization of the boulevard as a paradigm of public space in Modern Madrid, the description of the circumstances that marked the construction and subsequent evolution of the two case studies, Ibiza and Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, as well as the different stages of its spatial configuration to date. Next, the built space is functionally characterized, studying its involvement in the social use of public space. Finally, the urban instruments dedicated to the cultural and natural protection of both boulevards are reviewed, assessing their effectiveness today.