Editing Bilbao (section)

=== Urban planning ===
[[File:Casco viejo.jpg|thumb|The Old Town]]
[[File:Bilbao-07.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The Gothic St. James Cathedral]]
In its beginnings, Bilbao only had three streets (''Somera'', ''Artecalle'', and ''Tendería'') surrounded by walls located where Ronda street now stands. Inside this enclosure, there was a small [[hermitage (religious retreat)|hermitage]] dedicated to the Apostle [[James, son of Zebedee|Saint James]] (the current [[Bilbao Cathedral|St. James' Cathedral]]), which pilgrims visited on their [[Way of St. James|way to]] [[Santiago de Compostela]]. In the fifteenth century, four more streets were built, forming the original ''[[Zazpikaleak]]'' or "Seven Streets".<ref>[[#tus04|Tusell 2004]]: 19</ref> In 1571, after several floods and a major fire in 1569, the walls were demolished in order to allow the expansion of the town.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.euskomedia.org/PDFAnlt/atlas_vasconia/biz/es/00530106es.pdf | publisher = euskomedia.org | title = El espacio público de la villa de Bilbao | author1 = Arizaga Balumburu, Beatriz | author2 = Martínez Martínez, Sergio | name-list-style = amp | access-date = 17 September 2008 | archive-date = 25 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725134335/http://www.euskomedia.org/PDFAnlt/atlas_vasconia/biz/es/00530106es.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 1861, engineer Amado Lázaro projected an ''[[ensanche]]'' inside the then-municipality of [[Abando]] with wide avenues and regular buildings, that included the hygienists ideas of the time. The project was mostly based on [[Barcelona]]'s ''[[Eixample]]'', designed by [[Ildefons Cerdà]].<ref name="urban">{{cite web | url = http://www.euskomedia.org/aunamendi/1116/122862 | title = Bilbao (Urbanismo, siglos XIX y XX) | publisher = euskomedia.org | access-date = 8 October 2010 | archive-date = 21 October 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021100706/http://www.euskomedia.org/aunamendi/1116/122862 | url-status = live }}</ref> However, the project was dropped by the [[Bilbao City Council]] after considering it "utopian and excessive" because of its high cost, though of great quality. Furthermore, Lázaro had calculated the demographic growth of the town was based on the previous three centuries, a provision that eventually would not conform to reality.<ref name="urban"/><ref>[[#mon00|Montero 2000]]: 45</ref>

The next large urban change in Bilbao would come in 1876, when the capital [[annexation|annexed]] (in several stages) the neighbouring municipality of Abando. The new ''ensanche'' project was planned by a team made of architect Severino de Achúcarro and engineers Pablo de Alzola (elected Mayor that same year), and Ernesto de Hoffmeyer. Unlike Lázaro's, this project was significantly smaller, compassing {{convert|1.58|km2|abbr=on}} against the original {{convert|2.54|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="urban"/> It also featured a not so strict [[grid pattern]], a park to separate the industrial and residential areas and the [[Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro]], the main thoroughfare, where many relevant buildings were located, such as the Biscay provincial government hall or the BBVA Tower. By the end of the 1890s, this widening was half completed and already filled, so a new extension was planned by Federico Ugalde.<ref name="urban"/>

By 1925, the municipalities of [[Deusto]] and [[Begoña]], as well as part of [[Erandio]] were annexed, and in 1940, the remaining part of Erandio became part of Bilbao. The last annexation took place in 1966, with the municipalities of [[Loiu]], [[Sondika]], [[Derio]], and [[Zamudio]]. This made Bilbao larger than ever, with {{convert|107|km2|abbr=on}}. However, all these municipalities, with the exception of Deusto and Begoña regained their independence on 1 January 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euskadi.net/cgi-bin_k54/ver_c?CMD=VERDOC&BASE=B03J&DOCN=000030346&CONF=/config/k54/bopv_c.cnf |title=BOE del País Vasco |publisher=[[Basque Government]] |access-date=17 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002082844/http://www.euskadi.net/cgi-bin_k54/ver_c?CMD=VERDOC&BASE=B03J&DOCN=000030346&CONF=%2Fconfig%2Fk54%2Fbopv_c.cnf |archive-date=2 October 2013  }}</ref>

On 18 May 2010, the government of Singapore awarded Bilbao the [[Lee Kuan Yew]] World City Prize, at the [[World Cities Summit]] 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.leekuanyewworldcityprize.com.sg/inaugural.htm | title = Bilbao City Hall tops 78 nominations to clinch the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize | publisher = Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize | access-date = 9 December 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100724160440/http://www.leekuanyewworldcityprize.com.sg/inaugural.htm | archive-date = 24 July 2010 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> It is considered the [[Pritzker Prize|Pritzker]] of [[urbanism]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/v/20100519/vizcaya/medalla-certificado-euros-premio-20100519.html | title = Medalla de oro, certificado y 176.000 euros de premio | work = El Correo | date = 19 May 2010 | access-date = 9 December 2010 | archive-date = 23 May 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100523202554/http://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/v/20100519/vizcaya/medalla-certificado-euros-premio-20100519.html | url-status = live }}</ref>