Barcelona launches 10-year plan to become massively more car-unfriendly

Barcelona is launching a 10-year overhaul of its road network that will see priority given to pedestrians and cyclists on a third of the streets in the central Eixample district.

At the heart of the project is the superblock scheme that was launched in 2016. This sees nine city blocks grouped together and closed to through-traffic. Vehicles that are still permitted must travel at no more than 10km/h (6 mph).

Cycle lanes, play areas and green spaces are also introduced; junctions are turned into plazas; and parking spaces are replaced with seating areas.

There are six superblocks so far, but the Guardian reports that 11 more are planned – and more than 500 if the project is carried out in its entirety.

Twenty-one streets in the city’s central Eixample district are now to become a ‘super-superblock’, according to the mayor. This will result in 33.4 hectares of extra space for pedestrians.

The plan is estimated to cost €37.8m over the next 10 years.

Barcelona citizens own 6,000 cars per square km, not counting vans or motorcycles – the highest in the EU – and there is a strong desire to reduce this.

The plan is for residents to be no more than 200 metres from a square or small park and no more than 300 metres from a bus stop.

The city believes it could free up 70 per cent of its current road space for active travel and recreation if the superblock concept is applied to the whole city.