Merging Green and Active Transportation Infrastructure towards an Equitable Accessibility to Green Areas: Barcelona Green Axes

Francesc Magrinyà, Josep Mercadé-Aloy and Borja Ruiz-Apilánez ()
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Francesc Magrinyà: Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyers de Camins, Canals y Ports de Barcelona, Departament d’Enginyeria Civil i Ambiental, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Josep Mercadé-Aloy: Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyers de Camins, Canals y Ports de Barcelona, Departament d’Enginyeria Civil i Ambiental, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Borja Ruiz-Apilánez: Escuela de Arquitectura de Toledo, Departamento de Ingeniería Civil y de la Edificación, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 08034 Barcelona, Spain

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-29

Abstract: The UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for the provision of universal access to: (a) safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces, and (b) safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all. The Barcelona green axes plan aims to transform one third of the streets within its 19th century extension grid, increasing the tree cover and the vegetation, adopting sustainable urban drainage systems, limiting motor traffic, and providing a safer and more comfortable environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and other social activities in healthier environments. These transformations become even greater at the intersection of the axes, where former traffic junctions are becoming squares and urban gardens. This study gives an in-depth analysis of the origins of the superblocks plan, the rationale behind the transformation, and the implementation process. The GIS-based analysis shows how the green axes and the new square gardens (a) transform the city’s disconnected urban green areas into a more interconnected green infrastructure system, and (b) significantly increase accessibility to green areas. The study reveals this strategy’s potential to create a city of proximity, improve the well-being of the population, and build a more equitable city, which could be a useful tool for planning and decision making at both city and regional levels.

Keywords: constructed green areas; spatial planning; street design; sustainable transportation; city government (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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