In the western Mediterranean, the rise of cities came about as a result of Rome's deliberate policy of promoting urban growth. The autonomous city governed a territory and was the basic administrative unit, as well as the centre of social and cultural life. In Catalonia, the Roman urban network bore little resemblance to the scattered Iberian towns. Cities were located after prior urban planning sites that were geostrategically important from an economic and military perspective. The Roman war veterans often colonised new enclaves. A number of indigenous or colonial population centres were also reorganised.