SUPERILLES (SUPERBLOCKS)
EIXAMPLE, BARCELONA
Spain
Barcelona’s Superblocks (Superilles) initiative aims to reclaim public space in the Eixample district by reducing motor traffic and prioritizing pedestrians, greenery, and local life. Led by Barcelona City Council, it transforms streets into green, walkable areas to alleviate traffic, pollution, and increase green spaces in this dense urban area.
In the Eixample, the city has committed to delivering 21 green hub streets (around 33 km of corridors) and 21 new public squares (approx. 3.9 hectares). In total, the Eixample will gain 33.4 hectares of new priority space for pedestrians. Superblocks restrict vehicle access on interior streets while maintaining traffic flow on perimeter roads, creating quieter, safer areas inside. Infrastructure upgrades include kerb-free pavement for accessibility, urban furniture, and design elements supporting people with disabilities.
Future Cities criteria compliance
Environmental & Nature
The project prioritizes sustainability by reducing car use, expanding pedestrian areas, and adding permeable surfaces and vegetation to cool the urban microclimate. In Eixample, permeable surfaces rose from 1% to 15%, lowering summer temperatures by about 5°C. Superblocks reduce car emissions, noise, and urban heat through increased greenery, promoting walking and cycling as healthy, sustainable transport modes.
Smart City
Superblocks model focuses primarily on spatial and mobility redesign, technological elements support its deployment: data-driven mobility monitoring, digital maps of new green hubs and real-time information for residents. The municipal press kit highlights a move toward “structural changes” based on measurement and monitoring.
Human-Centric
Superblocks ambition is human-centric, prioritize pedestrian and community life, reclaiming up to one-third of interior Eixample streets from thorough traffic so that residents are within 200 m of a green square. By reclaiming streets as social spaces, the model fosters community gathering, improves public health, and emphasizes inclusivity with accessible design and local participation in planning.
Interesting Links
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