Sea Gateways – Paral·lel-Carbonera
The main objective of the Sea Gateways projects is to improve accessibility and connection to the sea on foot and by bicycle, to create spaces for sea-city interrelation through the main vertebral thoroughfares and secondary transversal corridors capable of linking the spaces of the city with the spaces of the coast, and proposing, if necessary, a new arrangement of the open spaces that facilitates physical and visual access to the sea.
The urban fabric of Barcelona, from Montjuïc to Besòs, is characterised by streets that go all the way to the seafront, although there is only a continuity of road traffic, as the ring road and railway lines act as a barrier. There is a lack of transversal links (mountain-sea) that connect the city to the coast, on foot and by bike. The main theme is to give continuity and fluidity to the “vertical” routes with the “horizontal” routes of the coastal corridor, addressing above all the crossroads and the points of contact and intersection between the two routes. It is a case of making the public space for movement and relaxation the more continuous and easily accessible. The rationale of these projects is to physically determine and signpost the routes of public spaces, accessible on foot or by bicycle, that lead from the city to the sea and vice versa.
The Paral·lel-Carbonera Gateway project proposes to connect Avinguda del Paral·lel with Moll de Barcelona through Plaça de la Carbonera. By means of a possible reconfiguration of the square, a new junction will be created to eliminate cul de sacs and help reduce the pressure of pedestrian traffic towards La Barceloneta at the end of the La Rambla.
The proposal also involves redeveloping the Moll dels Drassanes once it has been freed up from the terminal. The aim is to ensure the continuity of public space between Moll de Barcelona and Portal de la Pau by eliminating the fragmentation of public space between the quays and reducing vehicle-pedestrian overcrowding as much as possible. This will allow the continuity of the routes to Moll dels Drassanes, on one side, and Moll de la Fusta, on the other.
