Clients: Public Health Agency of Catalunya
Date: 2022
Location: Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
The Healthy Cities Generator is driving transformation in the centre of Barcelona to improve air quality and health for locals. In a dense neighbourhood with below-average health outcomes, making the most of existing spaces is more important than ever. That’s what the Barcelona Provincial Council (DIBA) had in mind when they brought the Healthy Cities Generator to support their ongoing project – La Industrial +.
The Eixample, a central district of Barcelona, is one of the first modern examples of healthy urban planning. Its grid layout and wide streets were designed to ensure a well-ventilated city with clean air. Today, however, the average yearly NO2 emissions in the area are 5 times higher than the recommended WHO limit. Almost a quarter of the city’s air pollution-related deaths occur in the densely packed district, which suffers from high traffic and lacks green space for locals to catch a breath.
Approach
We kicked off our work with La Industrial + by first looking at the current state of physical, mental and environmental health issues (premature mortality, depression rates, or noise and air pollution levels), and then analysing the current urban context.
Impact
After reviewing the 30 health indicators that our model connects to the urban environment, 7 showed an urgent need for improvement. Using the Healthy Cities Generator’s health approach, we entered these priorities on the platform to determine the most impactful solutions. After analysing the current status, we assessed the La Industrial + project’s potential impact on health. By comparing the impact of the baseline and project situations, we can see that the aspects that are currently lacking, such as green coverage or green space diversity, will be greatly improved in the future transformation.
City dwellers deserve an environment that promotes their health, rather than one that harms it. Our work with the Healthy Cities Generator demonstrates that La Industrial + will bring major benefits to the local environment, ensuring a healthier future for its residents
– Marta Rofin Serrà, founder and architect of Healthy Cities
