Tactical urbanism in Barcelona
A way to quickly change the way a street is used, making it possible to adapt the city to new forms of mobility, and a new way of conceptualising urban life.
Tactical urbanism in Barcelona
For some years now, Barcelona has been committed to tactical urbanism when implementing initiatives that require functional changes to be made, quickly and economically, to the way urban space is used. This is tactical urbanism, a planning tool used in many other cities around the world to rapidly change the way a street is used. Moreover, these are changes that can easily be reversed if necessary.
Streets with coloured sections, street furniture and planters that can be moved if necessary, painted pavement games, etc. These are just some of the recent examples that can be seen on the streets of Barcelona. They are examples of tactical urbanism, an approach that makes it possible to quickly change the way a street is used.
By painting one of the traffic lanes and adding street furniture, more space can be freed up for pedestrians, for taking a stroll, for creating new squares and new leisure spaces, or for protecting the area around a school.
Why are we committed to tactical urbanism?
In an ideal world, urban street reform is always best achieved through structural work, that is, work that enables a permanent transformation of the space. However, sometimes it is necessary to make changes quickly, or perhaps not all the funding that would be required to carry out such a transformation is available.
It is in these cases that Barcelona City Council has decided to opt for tactical urbanism. These are swift, inexpensive initiatives that make it possible to easily modify the way a street is used in response to need.
However, it is not always urgent need that determines use. Tactical urbanism also has greater visibility and can easily highlight potential alternative uses for public space. It can even be used to innovate and test new types of development, features of the urban landscape, or street functionality to determine whether or not they meet public needs.
Temporary and reversible
It should be taken into account that these are usually initiatives of a temporary nature. Often, the aim is that once the viability of the changes has been established, or the necessary budget allocations made, they become permanent. Furthermore, in the event that these changes of use do not meet the stated objectives, or the project needs to be altered in some way, the work is easily reversible, and easily modified.
What tactical urbanism is
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Change of use
Tactical urbanism facilitates a quick change in the function or use of a public space. -
Fast and economical
This approach is adopted when there is a need for action to be taken quickly, or insufficient funding is available. -
Temporary
Tactical interventions are generally temporary in nature, but with a view to later making them permanent.
Where have we applied the principles of tactical urbanism?
The concept of tactical urbanism, put to use by many big cities around the world, makes it possible to address a range of different needs. In Barcelona for example, it has been used in the Superilles (Superblocks) programme, which has led to traffic calming, new pedestrianised zones, the protection of areas around schools, and more space to expand bar, café and restaurant terraces.
01 Superilles (Superblocks)
An emblematic example of tactical urbanism in Barcelona is the Superilles programme. This type of temporary urban development can be seen in some of the ‘superblocks’ in the Poblenou and Sant Antoni districts, where pedestrian areas are defined by using paint, new street furniture and large planters. The aim is for these changes to become structural ones in the future.
02 Protecting schools
Protecting schools and ensuring a safer environment in the immediate area is the aim of the ‘Protegim les escoles’ programme. Here, tactical urbanism is used to create new recreational spaces around school entrances. During the current administration, this approach will be applied to some 200 schools throughout the city, with the aim of extending these traffic-calmed areas to all schools in the future.
03 Covid-19: emergency measures
The need to reclaim more pedestrian space as lockdown is lifted, with the aim of creating new pedestrianised areas to make it easier to maintain the safety distance, has facilitated the implementation of tactical urbanism initiatives in the following streets: Consell de Cent, Rocafort and Girona. These are initiatives that will soon become structural, under the Superilla Barcelona project.
04 Extension of terraces
The pandemic has also led the City Council to urgently approve the creation of new bar and restaurant terraces, and the extension of those already in existence. Here tactical urbanism has been used to reclaim space from carriageways, using large concrete blocks and pylons. The City Council is now studying ways of making these spaces more attractive.
05 Ronda de Sant Antoni
Some years back, ronda de Sant Antoni provided a temporary home for the Sant Antoni Market. Now that the market has gone, the City Council and local residents are looking to reach a consensus on the future of this street. While a definitive solution is being sought, the decision was taken to apply the principles of tactical urbanism, adding street furniture and painted pavement games, and creating new leisure areas.
06 Ronda de la Universitat
Ronda de la Universitat is an extremely busy street. However, the pavements are narrow, and in view of the pandemic, the decision has been taken to widen them. Large concrete platforms are being built to widen the pavements, which will be lined with trees planted in large pots.
07 Pelai
The pavements of carrer de Pelai are among the busiest in the city centre. Carrer de Pelai is a very busy shopping street where the pavements are too narrow for the numbers of people that use them. For this reason, the City Council has opted to gain space by reclaiming one of the lanes currently used by private vehicles.
08 Mobility initiatives
Tactical urbanism can also be used to functionally change street usage, for example by creating new cycle lanes. Over the last few months, kilometres of cycling space has been gained by using paint on the roads of various streets in the city.
