Barcelona’s “Superilles”

Introduction

In the modern world, where cars dominate many North American cities and others worldwide, people are trying to figure out ways to return the streets to anyone other than cars. Chicago, one the most “pedestrianized” cities in America by American standards, is covered in parking lots and asphalt, which covers the city’s former trolly tracks. In the 1950s and 60s, America embraced the car as the “new way of transportation” and said it would “speed up” our daily commute. But today, people ask themselves if this is a good idea. In Europe, that thought came quickly, with The Netherlands transforming from the world’s car capital to the biking capital of the world. And that thought traveled throughout Europe, through London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and many other cities. But my favorite example is in Barcelona, with their “Superilles,” which translates to “Superblocks.”

What are Superilles?

A Superblock is when you take nine city blocks in a square and close off the inside streets to cars. Cars can go around the Superblock through roads on the outside (below).

This design allows pedestrians to rule inside the Superblock and for events such as street concerts. After the first Superblock opened, hundreds of people flocked to roam freely inside. Shop owners recorded record-high numbers of people going to their shops, and businesses boomed. Deaths and injuries caused by cars fall dramatically in the city. The air pollution, which had previously been at record highs and above the EU’s, dropped dramatically. In fact, the high air pollution had been causing 3,500 deaths per year, and it was getting worse before the Superblock. The same was true with air pollution, which also happened with noise pollution, which was also at record highs and then fell.

Background & Testing

The Superblock was initially implemented in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a city to the north of Barcelona. This city has a Superblock in the center, which before transformation had only seen 45% pedestrian space, but now it has jumped to 74%. Also, the average noise pollution dropped from 66.5 decibels to 61 decibels. Most importantly, there was a 42% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and a 38% reduction in particle pollution.

However, Barcelona does have a slight advantage. For one, Barcelona was built before cars, and much of it is on a grid plan. The Superblock was based in the Eixample district and designed by Ildefons Cerdà in 1859. He implemented this grid plan to distribute schools and fire stations to more people. Pedestrianized areas are in America, but they are usually done in wealthy areas with lots of businesses, not in all-class areas with residential and commercial zoning.

Why Can’t it Work in America?

Zoning policies in America usually require the separation of residential and commercial areas. Still, they use mixed-used zoning in a walkable area, with maybe a café on the bottom floor and apartments on the top. In addition, minimum street widths will widen the streets and parking spaces, encouraging more cars. What Barcelona is doing is that they are not proposing superblocks in wealthy areas or city squares but throughout the city. Most importantly, they have declared walking areas a right for everyone, not just the rich. In addition, the idea in America that everyone owns a car and drives it everywhere is so cemented in our minds that it is hard to get people to do otherwise. This idea that vehicles are it limits the city’s health, value, and growth. But we need to create the idea that we need more of these spaces and that without them, we wouldn’t have a healthy, valued, growing city.

Conclusion

As of 2023, Barcelona has only 5 of these Superblocks, but it has identified 120 other options in the city for Superblocks, and they are planning to build more. I hope there can be more of these Superblocks, and the area in them can be enjoyed by rich and poor, tourists and locals, and everyone that can.