Barcelona Superblocks

Let’s fill the streets with life! This is not just an empty statement, but the name of an urban vision in Barcelona known as Superblocks, which was launched in 2016 and has influenced many cities worldwide. The concept was born out of the need to improve people’s quality of life and reduce the impact of traffic on the environment. Nine city blocks in Barcelona have been transformed into livable neighbourhoods where traffic is diverted around the block to free up space for safer walking, cycling and general enjoyment of streets. In 2020, Barcelona announced an expansion of their initiative in the Eixample neighbourhood, as part of a 10-year plan. 21 streets will be converted into green spaces and plazas. This will promote biodiversity, active mobility and encourage exchange between residents. The result? 33.4 additional hectares devoted to pedestrians in the city, which is equivalent of 46 soccer fields. The visionary project is scheduled to begin in 2022. The city government is now working on public engagement processes that involve residents to find out what they want the green spaces to look like. This is how streets should be filled with life!