Barcelona:
Walkable Streets
The Program
Barcelona is a hub for innovative urban design, transforming itself into a laboratory for novel street designs that improve walkability and quality of life for children and adults.
The Walkable Streets Program is a modular three-day journey designed to provide a rich and focused understanding of Barcelona’s urbanism in the shortest possible time. Enroll in one, two or all three days. This unique program explores the city’s development and design through three distinct perspectives.
Discover key initiatives in the city like Superblocks, Green Axes, School Streets, Bike Bus, and street redesigns that enhance walkability and accessibility for children and seniors.
In Day 1 we examine how and why Barcelona has become a global model for urban planning and design, uncover the layers of Barcelona’s transformation, exploring recent ambitious transformations in Poblenou, and walking through its most enjoyable streets in Gràcia.
In Day 2 we will examine Barcelona’s streets through the lens of children and safety and you will learn how the city has accommodated to its younger population, in an effort to make child friendly streets. We will visit Barcelona’s School Streets, learn about the city’s inovative Play Strategy, and have an unforgettable time riding on one of Barcelona’s many Bike Buses that accompany children to school.
In Day 3 you will experience the Masterclass Superblock Barcelona and understand why this model has inspired cities around the world to create walkable neighbourhoods. The Masterclass is led by the leadership team that has led this transformation which many have called a revolutionary approach to rethinking urban mobility and public space.
Learning objectives
- Examine successful projects like the Superblocks Model and how they reclaim public space.
- Analyze the role of children in urban spaces, and redesign safer, people-focused leisure spaces.
- Explore children-focused initiatives such as Bike Bus and School Streets.
- Discover Barcelona’s evolution beyond the Old City through neighborhoods like Gràcia and Poblenou.
- Understand how history, modernization, and gentrification have shaped the city’s identity.
Schedule
Module 1 [Day 1]
Transforming Barcelona
- Discover how Barcelona has transformed itself in the last few decades.
- Experience the walkable streets of Gràcia.
- Meet with leading city planners.
Module 2 [Day 2]:
Child Friendly Streets
- Bike through Gràcia, Glòries and 22@ neighborhoods.
- Learn about Barcelona’s play strategy for children and families.
- Ride in Barcelona’s Bike Bus.
Module 3 [Day 3]:
Superblock Masterclass
- Explore Superblock Poblenou with Silvia Casorran, Environmental scientist.
- Bike from Poblenou to Sant Antoni with a commented bike tour.
- Walk through Superblock Consell de Cent with Xavi Matilla, Chief Architect & Planner.
Brochure
Includes
- Exclusive meetings with key officials and city planners
- Walking tours
- Guided site visits
- Bike rentals
- Group meals (some lunches and dinners – check schedule to see which ones are included)
What they say
”I had the opportunity to attend the Walkable Streets program, a two-day intensive masterclass organized by City Lab Barcelona. I deepened my understanding of the transformational potential of walkable urban spaces, by looking into the case studies of Superblocks, Green Axes, and School Streets here in Barcelona — the city I call home. Throughout the program, we learned from three experts with hands-on experience.
Koen DobbelaarAgile Innovation Specialist, EIT Urban Mobility
”I highly encourage officials and architects to experience workshops like this one in Barcelona. The Walkable Streets program gave me a renewed passion for my scientific work on transforming streets and a renewed energy to research unacceptable changes such as adding new car traffic to a well-functioning pedestrian space.
Wiktoria JanikowskaPhD student Silesian University of Technology
Meet the Experts
Jordi Honey-Rosés is a research professor in urban planning at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona where he leads the research group City Lab Barcelona. His research examines the impact of urban programs and policies with a focus on urban experimentation. Prior to joining ICTA-UAB, Dr. Honey-Rosés was a planning professor at the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia (2013-2021). While at the University of British Columbia he received the prestigious Killam Teaching Award. Most recently, Dr. Honey-Rosés has been leading a research program on active mobility, school streets, bike bus, citizen science, BiciZen, bicycle parking and bicycle theft. A California native, with Catalan roots, Dr. Honey-Rosés has walked the streets of Barcelona since his childhood and is passionate about urban history. He is thrilled to oversee the professional education programs at City Lab Discovery, which serve as a bridge between city leaders, planners and civic change makers from around the world.
Matilla was Chief Architect of the city of Barcelona (2019 – 2023). During this period, he lead many urban transformations with the aim of achieving a healthier, friendlier and fairer cities. During his tenure as Chief Architect, he oversaw the Barcelona Superblock project, a transformational program that has made city streets greener, healthier and with stronger social and economic relations. He also implemented Barcelona’s School Streets program, Protegim les Escoles, which has improved the environmental quality and safety of more than 200 school environments, as well as public space transformations on Meridiana Avenue, Parc de Glòries and Via Laietana, among others. Co-founder of Territoris XLM, an office dedicated to urban planning and public space design. Professor at the Department of Urbanism, Territory and Landscape (DUTP) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and at the Master Metropoli at Metropoli Institute of Barcelona (IMB).
Sílvia Casorrán Martos (Barcelona, 1979) has a degree in Environmental Sciences and an MBA, with studies in The Netherlands (Utrecht) and in Mexico (Guadalajara). She has 20 years of professional experience in the fields of sustainable mobility and the transformation of public space, working from both private and public sector. From 2015-2020 she was the lead officer at the Cycling Office for the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, a role she founded, and she coordinated the Cycling Cities Network in Spain. In the period 2019-2023 she served as the Mobility Councillor for Sant Martí District in Barcelona. In the period 2021-2023 she served as Deputy to the Chief Architect in Barcelona. For more than 15 years she has been an activist among sustainable mobility social movements.
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