Barcelona Urban Public Spaces1976
- open space
- infrastructure
- place making
- transit system
- waterfront
- social fabric
- redevelopment
The city of Barcelona was awarded for a collective effort between many professionals in the requalification of 42 Urban Public Spaces in the city between 1981 and 1987. The projects affected positively nearly 1.7 million people extending over 100 sq. kilometers, covering the territory of the districts: Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Sants Montjuïc, Les Corts, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó, Nous Barris, Sant Andreu, and Sant Martí. The proposal’s merit resides in enhancing the quality of life through the public realm and the access to areas for leisure and social activities. Three kinds of specific urban space projects have been completed: plazas, parks, and streets. The urban public space projects represent a large and impressive body of public works at widely different scales spread throughout the city. The aim was to develop a program for the entire city, one that would eventually operate in a decentralized manner, fitting the needs of particular geographic locales regardless of prevailing socioeconomic and physical circumstances. During the early stages, all public improvements were confined to the project sites themselves, and there were no displacements of population or viable urban functions from surrounding areas. Moreover, projects were undertaken in all ten districts within Barcelona: Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Sanes Moncjuic, Les Cores, Sarria-Sane Gervasi, Gracia, Horca-Guinard6, Nous Barris, Sane Andreu and Sant Marci, respectively. The program officially began in December 1980. Apart from being a local jurisdiction, each district corresponds to a distinctive area within the city that warrants special urban design consideration, and each district is largely characterized by a particular pattern of streets and surrounding buildings.
Project Leads
- Town Planning Commission
- Office of Urban Projects
Organizations
- Town Planning Commission
- Office of Urban Projects
- Piñón y Viaplana
- Urban Planning Laboratory
Stages
- Design Development
- Construction
- Planning
- Schematic Design