Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Park Güell continues to back sustainable tourism and strengthen its ties with local people, with 450,245 local people accessing the park for free last year with either the local resident card or the Gaudir Més register. Of all the municipal facilities which charge admission prices, the park is the one with the highest volume of free visits in the city.

The number of people visiting for free was the highest since access to the park was regulated in the summer of 2020, following lockdown. From then on, measures were applied to limit the capacity at the site, the regulated area was enlarged and access times established for local people to get exclusive access: “Bon dia Barcelona” first thing in the morning, and “Bon vespre Barcelona” from 8 pm.

A total of 151,865 citizens accessed the park during the early morning slot in 2022, with 76,917 doing so in the evening. Most people choosing to access the park during these hours were residents in the districts of Gràcia or Horta-Guinardó.

Local visitors are usually dog owners, people wishing to walk, do sport or get from one neighbourhood to another. Young people also use the park to get to school. These users gave the park a rating of 8.25 out of 10, particularly valuing nature and the park’s green spaces.

More sustainable tourism and improvements at the site

Overall figures show that a total of 4.2 million people visited the park in 2022, some 50% fewer that the volume of visitors before the pandemic, when the figure stood at around 9 million.

Action is currently being implemented to improve the site, its surroundings and mobility, along with initiatives to preserve its architectural and natural heritage. Over 16 million euros in social return is due to be invested between now and 2026.

Scheduled action includes the acquisition of the building housing the cultural and local residents’ association La Miranda, funding for part of the work to improve the streets of Miquel dels Sants Oliver and Albert Llanas, the urbanisation of Coll del Portell, the construction of the new Parc del Font del Carbó, the urban developments of Torrent del Remei and more.

Neighbourhood space

There has also been a push to increase social uses in the park, with initiatives to consolidate it as a cultural site for organisations and schools from neighbouring areas. In this respect, twenty themed cultural activities were organised in 2022, with nearly 8,000 people taking part and representing an increase of over 50% compared to previous years.

These actions form part of the Park Güell Strategic Plan, which will have continuity until 2026 and coincide with the centenary acts commemorating the death of Antoni Gaudí.