A research lab at ICTA-UAB
Superblock Dialogue with City of Barcelona
BCNUEJ works with the City of Barcelona to address possible inequities emerging from urban greening projects. Through our recent pilot study of green gentrification in Barcelona, local residents and policy-makers have become more aware of the social risks of greening projects, especially those related with displacement, eviction, and inequitable urban development in the city.
Most recently, our team has been discussing with members of the Ajuntament de Barcelona the social impact of the pilot Superblock (“Superilla” in Catalan) initiative in the Poble Nou neighborhood, recognizing both opportunities for greater social interaction and cohesion and risks of gentrification. This superilla is part of the city’s latest sustainable mobility plan, which is meant to reduce traffic by 21%, address acute levels of air pollution, and create new public spaces.
Since the inauguration of this pilot project, the new director of the Urban Model, Ton Salvadó, together with the municipal Department of Ecology Urbanism, and Mobility are working together to implement new superblocks through the city and control gentrification. Part of our collaboration with the Ajuntament de Barcelona consists in offering input for measures that could ensure that the neighborhoods surrounding the superilles are healthy and livable while remaining affordable and free of high flows of tourists.