Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – Barcelona is set to undergo a significant urban transformation with the creation of 25 new green spaces across the city by 2027. Mayor Jaume Collboni unveiled the ambitious projects on Friday, detailing plans to convert disused areas into ten hectares of parks, an area equivalent to 15 football fields. The Barcelona City Council will invest 46 million euros in this initiative.
Expanding Green Infrastructure Across the City
These 25 projects represent the first phase of 40 planned under the Proximity and Interior Spaces Program (PEPI) of the Climate Plan. The overarching goal of the Climate Plan is to generate 20 new hectares of green and proximity spaces during the current mandate, a surface area larger than Ciutadella or Glòries parks, distributed across all ten districts of the city.
“What we have done is comb through the city to find disused, forgotten spaces that were ‘non-spaces,’ and recover them to extend green areas to all neighborhoods. This is a new way of acting,” stated Mayor Collboni. He emphasized that beyond “democratizing green spaces,” these projects will provide “identity to places that are non-places,” many of which have been unused for over a decade. He noted that despite having urban green zoning, these areas were often “dead hard plazas” that were never developed.
Addressing Previous Commitments and Future Plans
When questioned about his electoral promise to transform interior courtyards of the Eixample district to increase urban green space, the Mayor assured that the project “is making progress” and that the municipal government would present “the state of affairs” in “one or two months.” Collboni had announced the resumption of the transformation of Eixample interior courtyards during his 2023 electoral campaign, positioning it as an alternative to former Mayor Ada Colau’s ‘superblocks’ initiative.
Key Projects and Already Executed Interventions
Among the 25 projects in the first batch, the Mayor highlighted several significant developments:
- Oriol Martorell Gardens: Located in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, this project will eventually cover more than 22,000 square meters over the slab of the Generalitat de Catalunya railways, extending beyond 2027.
- Castella Street Plot: In the Sant Martí district, this will be a new green space of nearly 3,000 square meters.
- Pintor Alsamora Street: A new 6,600 square meter green space in Nou Barris.
- Pintor Tapiró Street: A project in Les Corts.
These projects are slated to begin transformation in the coming months and will complement four interventions already completed:
- Illa Colorantes: In Sant Andreu.
- Can Ricart Industrial Site: Urbanization of a part of the former industrial site.
- Pneumatic Collection Plant: Creation of a green area over the pneumatic waste collection plant connecting Pallars and Zamora streets in Sant Martí.
- Emma de Barcelona Gardens: Expansion of these gardens in the Eixample.
The city’s commitment to expanding green infrastructure underscores its dedication to environmental sustainability and improving the quality of life for its residents. These new green spaces are expected to provide much-needed recreational areas, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to a healthier urban environment.
Source: El País
