Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Following an in-depth analysis on the way the green streets are working in the district, an improvement plan will now be implemented as a result of joint work between 18 local organisations and all other municipal stakeholders. The goal is to consolidate the project and make the amendments needed to improve public space, mobility, environmental quality and socio-economic dynamics.

The new streets entailed a different rollout of some services, bringing new maintenance models with them. A number of measures have now been planned to gradually improve the system through until next summer. In the case of services to maintain greenery, the cost has risen by 315,000 euros, and with cleaning, by 759,000 euros.

Some 81% of vehicles using these streets are not registered, mainly bicycles, electric bikes and other personal mobility vehicles, with their average speed at 20 km/h. An information stage will be carried out from now until the autumn, to include temporary signage in squares with new information towers, greater enforcement from the City Police, civic officers on hand to explain how green streets work and the promotion of festive organisations and neighbourhood activities, the goal being to use these for information drives and improve uses.

Mobility signage

Work has been planned in Rambla Catalunya to give continuity to the central section for pedestrians. The project will be tendered in the autumn and is expected to cost 60,000 euros. The coming months will see commercial vehicles able to carry straight on in C/ Girona to access the section between Gran Via and Diputació, which is currently not permitted. Improvements to signage are also in store in the small squares in Rocafort, Comte Borrell, Girona and Enric Granados, and an analysis is being made of the location of street furniture and other elements to make clear the circulation restrictions in these spaces.

Extra signage will also be installed at junctions from between now and October, to make obligatory runs clearer and avoid vehicles using spaces reserved for pedestrians at these points. Clearer delimitation of loading and unloading areas is also being looked at.

Maintenance of spaces

Damaged parts of parterres of more than 20m² will be replaced and protected by the fencing used in Sant Antoni, shielding vegetation from dogs, pedestrians and vehicles. The work will be carried out progressively from 2024 to 2026 at an overall cost of 2 million euros.

The analysis of the cleaning service concludes that it is well dimensioned, but that an additional five litter bins are needed in the meeting spaces in green streets, taking into account the distance to benches and tables to avoid smells.

Controlling permits

The implementation of the Usage Plan for the district is constantly being assessed as although the activities it regulates have not increased, there have been many permit transfers that included changes in their formal characteristics. In parallel, different inspection campaigns are also being carried out: one focusing on permits for minor works, another one specific to terraces and another soon in conjunction with the IMPUQV to review the façades of premises.