Measures to manage conflicts in public spaces will be in place until November, with the Social Conflict Management Service for Urban Areas on hand to prevent—and, if needed, resolve—any issues that arise from the large crowds in the area.

Throughout July and August, a leaflet is being made available to remind everyone of the rules for living together respectfully. It also encourages tourists to do their part in reducing overcrowding in public spaces. Featuring the slogan “Everyone is welcome. Be respectful and you’ll be respected,” the leaflet is available in five languages—Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Italian—and is being distributed at three tourist coach pick-up points on Carrer de la Marina and Carrer del Consell de Cent, as well as at the cruise terminal.

Alongside increased patrols by the City Police and extra cleaning services, this public engagement approach has been introduced during the first summer with ten high-capacity, self-compacting bins around the church. Installed in April, these bins can each hold five times the amount of waste collected by a standard bin.

The number of civic agents present has also increased, with six new officers assigned to the area to provide information and ensure the space around the church is used respectfully.

Promotion and inspection of local businesses

These summer measures build on an inspection campaign launched in May, aimed at ensuring local businesses comply with current regulations. Of the 41 terraces inspected, 13 were found to have issues or violations such as overcrowding, more tables than authorised or unauthorised installations.

Inside twelve public venues on Avenida de Gaudí, inspectors identified violations related to layout changes, hygiene, electrical and fire safety installations and not having the right insurance for the type and capacity of the establishment. Additionally, eleven businesses were found to have urban landscape violations on their façades, such as signs mounted on the façade or architectural openings, projecting signs, signs on door frames, spotlights, lighting, awnings and alarms.

In this busy area, checks on regulatory compliance have been paired with support measures for local businesses, including the ‘Impulsem el que fas’ subsidies. This year, these subsidies have introduced categories specifically designed for tourist-heavy areas.

Improving vehicle and pedestrian mobility

A series of small changes and adjustments are underway to improve mobility in the area. This includes relocating the taxi rank from the corner of Mallorca and Lepant to Carrer de la Marina, freeing up the corner nearest the church to be reserved for police use. Before September, the bus lane along Mallorca, between Lepant and Marina, will be marked off to prevent vehicles from stopping there.

Work is scheduled to begin in mid-September on Carrer de la Marina, between Carrer de Mallorca and Carrer de Provença, as well as the area around the Nativity façade of the Sagrada Família and Plaça de Gaudí. This project will transform the area into a spacious, multipurpose square, expanding the existing park and creating a place for public events as well as a forecourt for the church. The project has a budget of 2.7 million euros and is expected to take around eight and a half months to complete.

An action plan already in motion

All these initiatives are part of the Sagrada Família Massive Attraction (EGA) Action Plan (2024-2027). The plan outlines 37 initiatives designed to free up public spaces, promote diversity in local commerce, lessen the impact of visitor flows and recover spaces for neighbourhood activities. It has a total budget of 15,442,200 euros.

65% of the planned measures are already underway or have been launched, and a shared governance space with local organisations and residents has also been set up to monitor the implementation of the various actions included in the plan.