Barcelona City Council

Dear Laia,

As a public servant, you have demonstrated an immense capacity for work and a comprehensive vision concerning the future of cities.

Barcelona, like all big cities in the world, is facing challenges such as the climate emergency, increasing inequalities and access to housing. The next few years are of vital importance for tackling these issues and reinforcing Barcelona as a city of opportunities. In this regard, urban planning, the transformation of public spaces, mobility, the promotion of ecological transition and housing policies will all play a fundamental role.

The Barcelona of 2030 has three clear objectives for development and transformation: sustainability, competitiveness and equity. Progressing towards the Barcelona of 2030 involves once again designing transformative urban planning and mobility tools that improve the quality of people’s lives and have a social and economic impact, in addition to their impact on our physical surroundings.

For this reason, as First Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing, you should focus on the following priorities:

• Prioritising the care and organisation of public spaces, with the aim of improving the quality of people’s lives. In order to achieve this, cleaning and maintenance are of fundamental importance, so it is necessary to continue promoting Pla Endreça and to launch a plan for maintaining public spaces.
• Promoting cross-cutting policies to tackle the climate emergency and decarbonisation, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. These requirements will be part of all urban planning projects, the designing of more sustainable mobility, and in key sectors such as energy, housing and urban greenery. Promoting energy transition and the generation of sustainable energy at a metropolitan level, in a fair, inclusive way. Working to regreen and renaturalise the city, creating and recovering gardens inside Eixample city blocks – while preserving Cerdà’s original idea, as well as new green areas in all city neighbourhoods. To this end, promoting a new urban greenery plan and increasing the number of green areas in the city, to reach a target of 100 hectares of new greenery.
• Fostering transformative urban planning that recovers the principles set out by the Cerdà Plan: equality and flexibility. Working to tackle climate and environmental challenges while also ensuring mobility and the generation of new prosperity. Fostering strategic urban development that has a social and economic impact on the city while responding to the needs of all the stakeholders involved, seeking wide-ranging consensus. In this regard, promoting the development of new areas of economic centrality, such as Bon Pastor, La Mercedes and Marina del Prat Vermell, prioritising the promotion of research and knowledge in the city, making full use of Barcelona’s urban-planning potential for hosting projects such as the Ciutadella of Knowledge.
• Promoting urban planning that fosters mixed uses, is multi-functional and responds to the multiple needs of the people who live, move around, work and study in Barcelona. Combining a neighbourhood perspective with a metropolitan and global viewpoint, and working towards the rationalisation and organisation of public spaces that takes into account the city as a whole. This involves prioritising reflection and intervention on the city’s ring roads, with the aim of connecting neighbourhoods with municipalities in the Metropolitan Area, promoting new areas for relaxation, leisure and well-being, and connecting the big science and health hubs. In areas such as La Sagrera - El Besòs industrial estates, transformation is vital in order to increase the quality of people’s lives, while also generating new economic opportunities.
• Working towards a more inclusive city model, designed for people, where housing is affordable, energy-efficient and accessible. To that end, prioritising the rehabilitation of the city’s existing housing stock, guided by the criteria of zero-emissions and accessibility. Increasing the city’s stock of social, lease-hold and affordable housing as much as possible, building wherever sites are available, and providing support for tenants, especially young people.
• Working towards inclusive, sustainable, organised, efficient and safe mobility, where everyone has a right to mobility. Therefore, promoting a pact for metropolitan infrastructures. Remedying public spaces with a global vision that facilitates the coexistence of various uses and prioritises flexibility and innovation. Ensuring the harmonious coexistence of means of transport. Providing space for public transport, pedestrians, bicycles, e-scooters, cars and motorbikes, as well as parking and loading-unloading areas. To this end, promoting the Municipal Strategy on Urban Goods Distribution, expanding the bicycle-lane network, developing a plan for pedestrians, significantly increasing the number of on-road parking places for motorcycles, promoting a master plan for taxis and fostering e-mobility.
• Leading the improvement of public transport in Barcelona.  Improving the city’s bus network, expanding the number of bus lanes and continuing to develop X Lines and reinforcement lines for the H-Line sections with most demand, including the extension of request buses and improving the performance of neighbourhood buses. In regard to the metro, calling on the Catalan Government to finish the pending expansion work on metro lines while also improving the Rodalies local train services.

You are undoubtedly in charge of Barcelona’s most important challenges and I am convinced that, with the participation of everyone involved, you will achieve the agreements and solutions that the city needs.

Kind regards,