Urban Governance in Post-pandemic Barcelona: A Superblock-Based New Normal?

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis created a drastic confrontation with our built environments and the city-making process. In Barcelona, the implementation of Superblocks’ concept—including several measures to create healthier, more inclusive, and resilient environments—started in the pre-pandemic period (2016–2019) with difficulties of implementation in urban planning and governance. Barcelona’s urban everyday life has changed during the pandemic toward a more human-centered approach, so Superblocks-related solutions have gained support and attention. The City Council consequently in mid-2021 launched the “Barcelona Superblocks Government Measure” to apply the basic principles of this concept to planning processes and decision-making. Since then, urban planning policies have been implemented with fundamental urban changes induced by the pandemic and developed new urban regeneration strategies that prioritize public health in urban design. This chapter analyzes Superblocks-related measures and highlights the critical lessons learned from this experience for urban planning and governance in post-COVID-19 Barcelona. The main argument is that Barcelona’s Superblocks are tied to human-centered pre-pandemic policies launched in the last decade. The disruption caused by COVID-19 has enabled the new normal by changes in urban planning and governance leading to more sustainable accessibility and connectivity though urban democracy, creating a new sense of community.