Mobility infrastructures in cities and climate change: An analysis through the superblocks in Barcelona Articles uri icon

publication date

  • April 2020

start page

  • 410

end page

  • 426

issue

  • 4

volume

  • 11

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 2073-4433

abstract

  • Cities are key actors in the fight against climate change since they are major sources of
    greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while at the same time they experience the negative impact of
    this phenomenon. Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires fundamental changes in
    urbanism and city automobile tra c. Superblocks, a grid of blocks and basic roads forming a
    polygon, approximately 400 by 400 m, are one of the instruments for such changes. These type of
    city Superblocks represent a new model of mobility that restructures the typical urban road
    network, thereby substantially reducing automobile tra c, and accordingly GHG emissions,
    while increasing green space in the city and improving the health and quality of life of its inhabitants.
    Furthermore, the Superblocks do not require investment in hard infrastructures, nor do they involve
    demolishing buildings or undertaking massive development; they are in fact very low-tech urbanism.
    The city of Barcelona has been implementing Superblocks as one of the measures to combat climate
    change with very positive results. The paper analyzes the concept of the Superblock and its relation
    with climate change in cities. Along these lines, it analyzes the pioneer experience of Barcelona in
    the development and implementation of the Superblocks, as a radical plan aimed at taking back the
    streets from cars. The role of political power and institutional leadership has been key in societal
    acceptance and the achievement of tangible results. But there are also obstacles and drawbacks in the
    development of these types of Superblocks, such as the necessity to redesign the collective transport
    network so that car tra c can truly be reduced in cities, the possible negative influence on tra c
    going in and out of the city, the lack of visible advantages if they are not implemented in the entire
    city, the risk of gentrification in the areas with Superblocks, public opposition, and opposition from
    certain sectors of the business community.

subjects

  • Sociology

keywords

  • barcelona; cities; climate change; superblocks; urban mobility