{"id":37459,"date":"2024-10-14T10:00:22","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T17:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/?p=37459"},"modified":"2025-08-14T10:39:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:39:14","slug":"the-barcelona-chronicles-the-superilla-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2024\/10\/14\/the-barcelona-chronicles-the-superilla-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Barcelona Chronicles: The Superilla Pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Jordi Honey-Roses<\/a>, Silvia Casorran Martos<\/a>, and Xavier Matilla<\/a>, warmly greeted the British Columbian planners as we approached the intersection of Carrer de Roc Boronet and Carrer de Sancho Avila\u2014ground zero of the first Superilla<\/em><\/span><\/a> experiment.<\/p>\n

As mentioned in Part 9,<\/span> the pioneering urban planning project focused on making the city more livable, sustainable, and community-centered\u2014<\/span>addressing modern environmental and social challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

While earlier mobility plans laid the groundwork, the concept was included in the<\/span> 2013-2018 <\/em>U<\/em><\/a>rban Mobility Plan (PMU)<\/em><\/a>. <\/span>However, it was under the Colau administration that the first pilot project was launched in El Poblenou. <\/span>The city sought to reduce car dependency and prioritize sustainable transport like walking, cycling, and public transit, while expanding limited public and green spaces in the densely populated city.<\/span><\/p>\n

The core concept reorganizes parts of the city into “superblocks,” clusters of nine city blocks that restrict car traffic to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and green spaces. Interior streets are closed to through traffic but remain accessible to residents, emergency services, and deliveries. The aim: to reduce noise, pollution, and accidents while creating more public spaces for walking, playing, and socializing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first experimental Superilla<\/em> was in El Poblenou<\/a>\u2014where we now stood\u2014<\/span>a neighborhood undergoing transformation as the <\/span>22@ Innovation District<\/i><\/a> with a mix of residential and industrial spaces. The intersection where we sat <\/span>offered the ideal setting for our hosts to explain <\/span>the key elements of the pilot: streets closed to through traffic and converted into green areas, pedestrian paths, and public seating.<\/span><\/p>\n

This transformation followed a tactical urbanism<\/a> approach\u2014low-cost, small-scale interventions that tested new ideas and encouraged community involvement. This allowed the city to experiment with innovative solutions before making long-term investments, allowing flexibility and adaptability.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key elements of this transformation included:<\/span><\/p>\n