Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The book ‘Survey Barcelona. Una mirada fotogràfica sobre les transformacions de la ciutat, 2015-2023’ offers a photographic vision of the city and the different projects carried out in the last few years, from major transformations of public space to new facilities, social housing and minor works carried out in streets and squares. The publication provides a visual account of a time of major change in the city.

The book looks at the transformation of Barcelona between 2015 and 2023. It compares the past with the present, analysing the change in the focus of public space, its shift from grey space to become a city more in touch with nature and new human hierarchies. “Now Barcelona is a city for children, and for the elderly, and that means we’re making it good and safe for all”, explained Janet Sanz Cid, Councillor for Ecology, Urban Planning, Infrastructures and Mobility and Second Deputy Mayor, during the presentation of the book at the DHUB.

Starting from the 600 images that make up the project, Volum I: Mirades offers a selection of the most representative photos by the ten photographers involved. Using ten themed criteria, they set out the changes which Barcelona has undergone in recent years and have created a set of images offering a combined vision of the city’s evolution. The texts in the first volume are by Adrià Goula, architect, photographer and coordinator of the work, and Valentín Roma, director of La Virreina Centre de la Imatge.

Volum II: Projectes offers a vision of the central projects rolled out in the city, such as superblocks, main streets, more greenery, play opportunities in the city, schools, improvements to neighbourhoods, the reactivation of economic networks, sustainable mobility, facilities and housing. The text is by Xavier Matilla Ayala, chief architect for Barcelona City Council. This volume includes every project carried out though technical descriptions and also includes a transcription of a conversation between Eva Franch, Margarita Jover, Carme Pinós and Janet Sanz about the challenges currently facing Barcelona and how urban renewal needs to be approached.

The photographs in the two volumes are the work of Milena Villalba, Andrés Flajszer, Pedro Pegenaute, Aitor Estévez, Jon Tugores, Xavi Bou, Joan Diví, Adrià Goula, Maite Caramés, Pol Viladoms and Simona Rota. The authors have photographed urban fauna, local people affected by the latest public projects in the privacy of their own homes, parks brimming with life in the neighbourhoods, major urban transformations and also minor works in streets and squares.

The project is much more than a book inviting people to walk around this new transformed and transformational Barcelona. A specific website has been created for all the content in the Survey Barcelona project, with images included, in Catalan, Spanish and English: survey.barcelona.