Tactical urbanism. Who are Barcelona’s streets for?
<p dir="ltr">If you look around at the streets of Barcelona, there’s a lot going on. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Barriers, bollards, benches, bike lanes, vegetation and greenery, children’s play areas, and lots of colourful paint.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Barcelona’s streets have changed considerably over the past five or so years, and even more dramatically since the outbreak of the pandemic, with the advent of 'superblocks' and tactical urbanism.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Tactical urbanism is the umbrella term to describe <strong>functional changes</strong> made to a city to alter the use of public space. It is usually a <strong>cheap, fast</strong>, and even <strong>reversible</strong> way to alter the city’s usage, and Barcelona has been doing a lot of it in recent years. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The superblocks and tactical urbanism project as a whole are celebrated by those who spend time in their neighbourhoods but have not gone down well with businesses in the surrounding areas. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As Barcelona plans to open more superblocks in new areas in the near future, it seems the city council has some way to go to solve issues of <strong>coexistence</strong> between everybody who shares roads and public space.</p> / ACN