Urban Design and Development Seminar Nine

Ø  Production of space prior to housing etc. had coherence and integrity – human scale etc.

Ø  Newer parts of the city of Barcelona do not have this

Ø  Space/place – local/regional codes and these were built up over time

Ø  Henri Lefevre ‘the Production of Space’

Ø  Barcelona has all underground parking – not on surface. This removes all visual of cars

Ø  La Rambles is typical in may suburbs/neighbourhoods – the main commercial space in the area

Ø  Human scale – street lamps/traffic lights

Ø  Healthy city – diet, walk everywhere, the city invites walking

Ø  Barcelona has:

- Lots of rubbish bins

- All blocks are mixed use

- Spaces managed with bias towards pedestrians

- All ramps wide and smooth – not discriminatory to traffic

- Almost all units have balconies and wide doors

- Average height of buildings is 6-10 storeys. Very dense but liveable

Ø  Lots of little shops – overheads low – small business model – accounts for half the space

Ø  Barcelona Financial  - in growth 56%  - people 25%

Ø  Wide streets of Barcelona serve only now

Ø  Underground galleries for infrastructure

- Room for development e.g. Cables and pipes etc.

- No need to dig up streets