The paper provides an analysis of the difference in the tools adopted in the Spanish urban policies between the two last EU programming cycles (2014–2020 and 2021–2027). After an introduction with references to the policy framework and the literature, a methodological section describes the focus of the research, the source of the data and how this information has been used for the comparative purpose of the work. The following section (Results) provides the comparison of the contents of the policy documents delivered by the Spanish cities involved in the urban agenda, with reference to the type of actions selected, the overlapping of thematic and strategic focus through the two periods, the budget allocated, etc. In the conclusive sections the attempt is to highlights analogies and differences between the two policy periods, pointing out the future investigation needed to provide a more comprehensive outlook on the question addressed in the paper.
