The Eixample district has the highest levels of air and noise pollution in the city of Barcelona, as well as the worst deficit of green spaces—only 2 m² per inhabitant. Although motor vehicles account for just 20% of users, they occupy 60% of the street surface. This model must be transformed toward a more sustainable form of mobility—one that pollutes less, requires less space, and prioritizes pedestrians, bicycles, and public transport—turning streets into public spaces resilient to climate change that promote health and community life.
The implementation of the Superblocks concept reorganizes mobility and frees one out of every three streets from through traffic, transforming them into green corridors where cars cannot circulate linearly. This creates a network of 21 green corridors and 21 squares functioning as environmental and social infrastructure. Between 2020 and 2023, the first phase was developed, including sections along Consell de Cent, Rocafort, Borrell, and Girona streets, as well as four squares at their intersections and along Enric Granados.
The projects are based on the document “Green Axes Model,” developed through a co-production process between multidisciplinary teams and municipal technical staff. The new model places people at the center: a single-level platform with universal accessibility where pedestrians always have priority. The street is conceived as a three-dimensional environmental infrastructure integrating sustainable drainage, more permeable soils, vegetation, and trees, thereby improving health, comfort, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
The new corridors and squares have become vibrant and well-loved spaces, offering new areas for rest, social interaction, and walking that previously did not exist. The first phase transformed 110,000 m² (4.65 km of corridors and 8,000 m² of squares), increased pedestrian space by 58,000 m², raised permeable surface from 1% to 15%, added 11,000 m² of greenery and 400 trees. Thermal comfort improved with a reduction of 5°C in summer, while traffic decreased by 17%.
References:
https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/superilles/ca/superilla/eixample
Llibre Superilla Barcelona
https://bcnroc.ajuntament.barcelona.cat/jspui/handle/11703/129164
