Deprioritising cars beyond rerouting: Future research directions of the Barcelona Superblock

Abstract

The Barcelona Superblock is an urban transformation strategy that has gained considerable momentum in the last few years and holds the promise to transform neighbourhoods and cities to be more liveable and sustainable by deprioritising cars. The implementation of Superblocks in different geographies reveals a flexible conceptual interpretation and adaptation. Here, a combination of mobility, street transformation, and ancillary measures is proposed to form the core of successful Superblock implementation. A critical perspective reveals challenges and research needs for a future research agenda along five domains: to quantify sustainability impacts, to perform integrated analysis, to determine optimal locations for implementation, to explore costs and to establish ways for their rapid realisation. Research along these domains is put forward to inform and guide the transformation of public street space to tackle liveability, urbanisation, climate adaptation and climate mitigation. The Superblock is an urban design concept that seeks to bring about a sustainability transition not only in re-arranging routes for cars but also in assigning space to alternative uses. For successful transfer policy transfer, increased evidence-based quantification of positive sustainability impacts and pursuing an integrative agenda that justifies Superblock location choices are argued for, including establishing specific street designs to achieve multiple sustainability impacts.