Social and physical analysis of vulnerable buildings in the historic centre in relation to the vulnerable urban fabric in the city of Barcelona

In a context of regression after the financial crisis of 2008, socio residential vulnerability is one of the rising challenges for historic centres when addressing the interaction between vulnerable resident population and the need of improvement of the building stock. Recent studies have analysed the levels of vulnerability in the city of Barcelona, resulting in a cartography that remarks particularly the historic centre along with other urban fabrics that happen to be geographically, historically and morphologically very different. The present research focuses on the specific shortcomings in the historic centre in relation to those of other urban fabrics within the most vulnerable areas. With this purpose, a sample of buildings in different neighbourhoods, including the historic centre, are statistically analysed through a set of variables at building scale related to both the need of improvement of residential buildings and the characteristics of their inhabitants. As a result, the sample is described through several profiles according to the combination of existing weaknesses from a physical and social perspective. The cartography of resulting profiles, as well as their cross-analysis with each neighbourhood and urban fabric, contribute to the better understanding of the specificities of the historic centre. The observation of the combination of weaknesses in the historic centre buildings in relation to other urban fabrics is a helpful tool for the design of future polices that aim for the improvement of living conditions in vulnerable residential buildings from an integral perspective that can address both physical and social issues. Those polices can refer to the particular priorities of the historic centre while taking into account similar situations in very different urban fabrics and neighbourhoods.