International Superblock Meeting
Hosted by the City of Barcelona
22 – 25 March 2023
The first International Superblock Meeting took place in Barcelona in March, 2023. The conference brought together political and technical representatives from different European cities – all leaders in public space and sustainable mobility policies – to discuss and share practical experiences, lessons learned, and challenges encountered.
The initiative to organize the International Superblock Meeting emerged from an existing network put together in the R+D project TuneOurBlock, funded by the JPI Urban Europe programme. TuneOurBlock takes the Superblocks concept developed in Barcelona as an example of a political and planning strategy for boosting the urban transition towards the sustainability and decarbonisation of cities.
Cities are facing an important challenge of rethinking their current urban model and preparing for a future framed by the climate emergency. Nowadays, when all cities are aiming for a better quality of life for their residents, reclaiming and giving back public space to people is a priority.
We need to create cities with fewer private vehicles, where priority is given to residents and visitors who walk, bike and use public transport; where there is less pollution, more greenery and more spaces for people to spend time in, play and socialise.
In Barcelona, this strategy has a name: Barcelona Superblock. For some years now, the city’s new urban model strategy has been transforming the streets to bring life back to them.
The time has now come (…)
For a new model of public space
Agreement between cities that participated in the International Superblock Meeting 2023
On the 24th of March, 2023, the representatives of the cities attending signed an agreement endorsing urban transformation policies to achieve greener and more sustainable cities. The final agreement of the first International Superblock Meeting concluded that cities must move forward with these transformation models to address the climate emergency, reduce emissions and achieve healthier urban areas. The text endorsed policies that place pedestrians, public transport, sustainable mobility and green and living spaces as priority areas in the design of cities. The agreement was signed by Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, Rotterdam, Brussels, Ljubljana, Ghent, Lódz, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Program and Documentation
The program of the First International Superblock Meeting featured two tracks – one for politicians and one for technicians and practitioners.
Below you can find the main elements of the program documented.
Wednesday, 22 March
Urban Transformation
Keynote lecture by Janette Sadik-Khan
With a welcome by Ada Colau – Mayor of Barcelona.
Moderation: Oriol Nel·lo.
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Thursday, 23 March
High Level Plenary
Cities Round Table
The day began with a round table, where the political representatives of the 11 participating cities presented examples of public space transformations in which the focus shifted from segregated motorised mobility to a combination of active mobility, more space for pedestrians and bicycles, and urban greening. The different leaders emphasised the need to address structural changesand the courage necessary to implement transformational change, but also the importance of citizen engagement, solid technical work, and having a good communication strategy.
With the participation of:
- Janet Sanz – Deputy Mayor, Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility, Barcelona City Council
- Bart Dhondt – Deputy Mayor of Mobility and Publics Works for the City of Brussels
- Camilla Van Deurs – Chief City Architect, Copenhagen
- Filip Watteeuw – Deputy Mayor of Ghent
- Rok Žnidaršič – Deputy Mayor, City of Ljubljana
- Adam Pustelnik – Deputy Mayor, City of Lodz
- Rezina Chowdhury – Cabinet lead for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, London Borough of Lambeth
- Pierfrancesco Maran – Deputy Mayor for Housing and Neighbourhoods, City of Milan
- David Belliard – Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of the transformation of public space, transport, mobility, the street code and roads
- Giuseppe Grezzi – Deputy Mayor of the Department of Mobility and Public Space, City of Valencia
- Raimundo Ruiz Escudero Ezcurra – Councilor of the Department of Mobility and Public Space, City of Victoria-Gasteiz
Moderation: Núria Moliner
Location: Ca l’Alier
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Site Visit
Poblenou Superblock
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Book Presentation
Barcelona Superblock : Barcelona 2015-2023
The conference was the occasion for the presentation of the book Barcelona Superblock: Barcelona 2015-2023, by Barcelona Regional and the Urban Ecology Area of the Barcelona City Council. The book provides a comprehensive review of the Superblock model and its evolution and implementation in Barcelona during the years 2015-2023.
The presentation of the book was led by Josep Bohigas, director of Barcelona Regional, with the participation of Janette Sadik-Khan, Janet Sanz and Camilla Van Deurs, Chief Architect of Copenhagen and author of the article ‘Superblocks to the rescue’, which opens the third chapter of the book.
During the session, not only were the project’s achievements discussed but also the controversies, criticisms received, and the effort to craft a process that generated a model that has been adapted in cities across the globe.
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Friday, 24 March
City Presentations
Projects for Public Space Transformation
The City Presentations session showcased projects for the transformation of public space from each of the invited cities. Dani Alsina, coordinator of the Superblock Technical Office, moderated the session and invited each technical representative to explain a project implemented in their city over the past 5 years.
With the participation of:
- Xavi Matilla – City Chief Architect, Barcelona City Council
- Merlin Pitz – Department of Mobility, City of Berlin
- Stefan Vandenhende – Policy Advisor to Minister Elke Van den Brandt, Brussels Capital Region
- Wim Schuddinck – Mobility Company, Ghent City Council
- Janez Koželj – City Councillor of the City of Ljubljana
- Malgorzata Marczewska – Urban Designer, Municipal Planning Office in Lodz
- Luuk van Kessel – Principal Transport Planner, London Borough of Lambeth
- Demetrio Scopellitti – Director for Planning and Public Space, AMAT, City of Milan
- José Besselink – Urban Planner, City of Rotterdam
- Lukas Franta – City of Vienna, Urban Development and Planning
- Eduardo Rojo – Head of Public Space and Natural Environment, Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council
- Ruth López Montesinos – Head of Sustainable Mobility Department, Valencia City Council
- Helene Chartier – Director of Urban Planning & Design, C40
- Christoph Gollner – JPI Urban Europe
For details about the presentation, please refer to the documentation of the International Superblock Meeting.
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Site Visit
Superblock Sant Antoni
Images: LAUT
Workshop
Superblocks for Urban Transformation
The workshop “Superblocks for Urban Transformation” provided opportunities for an interactive technical and academic exchange of participants. It gathered about 40 city representatives (technical staff) as well as academic experts from Barcelona and cities across Europe.
The workshop was prepared and facilitated by the TuneOurBlock consortium together with the Office of the Chief Architect of the City of Barcelona. The session aimed to enable participants to develop a deeper understanding of the commonalities and differences of various “Superblock” approaches and expand their applied knowledge on how to successfully implement complex urban transformation projects.
The workshop built on experiences with Superblock projects in Barcelona and other European cities as well as interim results of the TuneOurBlock project. It consisted of three parallel thematic sessions (A, B and C) which are reported in the documentation of the First International Superblock Meeting. The results provide lessons learnt as well as starting points for future cooperative projects and professional exchange.
Participating experts
- Cynthia Echave – Urban Planner / Urban Ecology – Systems Thinking R&D / Strategic Project Management
- Josep Bohigas – Director of the Barcelona Regional – Strategic Planning Agency
- Carolyn Daher – Coordinator, Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative at Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal)
- Javier Ortigosa – Mobility-Urban Planner, Transport Researcher
- Jokin Santiago – Architecture, Urban Design&Strategic Planning Co-Founder LEKU STUDIO
- Marina Cervera – Director of Master’s Program in Landscape Architecture, Polytechnic University of Catalonia
- Carlota de Gispert – Architect, Co-Founder Cierto Estudio
Workshop Facilitation Session Facilitators: Nicolina Kirby (RIFS), Thomas Stein (difu), Alexandra Meyer (ChangingCities), Johannes Müller (AIT), Elena Mali (STC), Ulrich Leth (TUW), Jernej Tiran (ZRC SAZU), Dirk von Schneidemesser (RIFS), Christian Unger (Changing Cities), Valentin Gebhardt (City of Vienna), Francesco Remonato (Smarter than Car), Georg Wieser (studio LAUT)
Moderation: Florian Lorenz (studio LAUT)
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Saturday, 25 March
Workshop Summary
Conclusions & Reflections facilitated by TuneOurBlock
In a concluding session on March 25th, the participants of the first International Superblock Meeting came together to reflect on the event itself, the knowledge it produces, and their own personal takeaways.
Download the documentation of the International Superblock Meeting’s Conclusions & Reflections. (pdf opens new tab)
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Public Party
Viu la Superilla
At the occasion of the First International Superblock Meeting a public celebration was hosted by the City of Barcelona to celebrate progress in the urban transformation of the Superilla Barcelona project. The street festival showcased new public space uses in two freshly transformed green corridors, the Green Axis Rocafort and the Green Axis Consell de Cent.
Images: Ajuntament de Barcelona