Superblocks: giving Barcelona’s streets back to its people

 

December, 8 | barcelonoise

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A radical new scheme in Spain’s second largest city aims to cut back air and noise pollution by the implementation of “superblocks”. Redirecting traffic around the perimeter of the blocks will create “citizen spaces” throughout the city, where residents can walk, play and relax, away from the noisy main roads of the city.

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Streetlife in Gracia. Photo: Never Ending Voyage

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Road hierachy in a Superblock model

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Photo: Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona

 

 

Vehicles will, however, be permitted on the interior roads – but only if they are delivering to local businesses, or if they belong to residents. Even then, a speed limit of 10km/h will be introduced, and the one-way systems implemented inside the superblocks will prevent anyone from using the interior roads to cut through the superblock. This means that quieter, greener, safer mini neighbourhood spaces will be created, and residents will be free to enjoy their streets.

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(Noise) Pollution

The innovative scheme comes as a response to the Catalan capital’s extensive urban problems. Air pollution is estimated to take 3,500 lives per year, and noise pollution is a serious problem: more than half of Barcelona’s residents are exposed to harmful levels of noise throughout the day. The city is also lacking in green space: despite the fact that its famous gridded neighbourhoods were originally designed to allow for green areas and to let the city breathe, these have since had the opposite effect as they have become so crammed full of traffic.

 

As part of the wider programme, other initiatives will complement the superblocks scheme. Barcelona’s cycle lanes are due to be quadrupled in length, and the bus network is set to be improved with an orthogonal network. Buses will have to abide by superblock rules and use only the main thoroughfares, but according to Rueda, this will actually reduce bus waiting times to five minutes. The number of routes will be greatly reduced and make for an easier system where passengers get across the city more directly and in just 35 minutes.

 

Historical background

The superblock is not, in fact, a new idea in Barcelona: the first one was introduced in 1993 in the area of el Born, with two others put into place in Gracia in 2005. But the current plan, started in September of this year, is much more ambitious and intends to free up almost 60% of streets currently used by cars. The plan will start in Eixample, and roll out to neighbourhoods including Sant Marti, Sant Gervasi, Horta, and others.

 

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The district of Eixample, where nine blocks will create a superblock. Photo: Alamy                      

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When the superblocks are fully implemented, it is expected that 73.5% of the population will not be exposed to noise levels over 65 decibels (the level deemed harmful by legislation) and residents will be free to use their mini neighbourhoods as they wish. The neighbourhood of Gracia serves as an example of what could be in the future, where car traffic has been reduced and street life is thriving. Let’s hope this can become a reality for many more of Barcelona’s inhabitants in the near future.

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