Barcelona City Council has launched a new singular plan for the La Marina neighbourhood, committing €50 million in public investment until 2028. This initiative, part of the broader Barcelona Neighbourhood Plan (2025-2028), focuses on transforming La Marina del Prat Vermell and La Marina del Port in the Sants-Montjuïc district.
The plan directly allocates €9 million for short-term projects between 2025 and 2028, contributing to the overall €50 million investment. The goal is to ensure current and future residents have access to adequate services, public spaces, facilities, and transport options as the area undergoes significant change.
La Marina is transitioning from an industrial and warehouse area to a mixed urban fabric, with an expected influx of nearly 30,000 new residents. The singular plan aims to use the opportunities this transformation brings while minimising potential negative impacts of growth.
Addressing Urban Challenges
Barcelona's Mayor, Jaume Collboni, stated the plan seeks to "reconnect what will be one of the great neighbourhoods of the future, and of Barcelona in 2035." He added that the city is "guaranteeing the right to stay with the promotion of public housing, and with a habitable environment, especially with climate criteria and in the field of mobility."
Collboni outlined the plan's three main objectives: "to mend, structure, and connect the neighbourhoods of La Marina del Port and La Marina del Prat Vermell, and to promote urban transformation that influences the improvement of employment initiatives." He explained the aim is to address potential inequalities as the neighbourhood develops and to make it a hub for economic growth and job creation.
This plan focuses on urban-environmental, educational, and socio-economic aspects. It seeks to create a shared strategy between municipal, supramunicipal, and neighbourhood stakeholders to shape La Marina by 2035. Key actions driving this change include promoting the social return of large economic operators surrounding La Marina, encouraging their greater involvement in the neighbourhood's development and cohesion.
Community Involvement and Long-Term Vision
The singular plan for La Marina is one of two such projects in this third edition of the Neighbourhood Plan, the other targeting mountain neighbourhoods. These singular plans are designed to address specific and strategic realities different from other areas.
For nearly a year, various technical and community working groups have contributed to the plan's development. Five sessions involved neighbourhood and community representatives, including one specifically on the proposed reform of Passeig de la Zona Franca. Over twenty technical sessions were held with different departments involved in La Marina's transformation. This process helped define strategies, agree on priorities, build consensus, and establish commitments among stakeholders.
The plan not only outlines La Marina's future direction but also defines how to achieve it: through collaboration and long-term commitment, while also aiming for immediate changes. The specific projects for the 2025-2028 period are part of this broader vision.
A New Approach to Public Policy
The singular plan tool represents a new way of approaching public policy. In La Marina's case, it is an anticipatory measure to prevent future inequalities that could arise during the area's significant transformation, while also addressing current needs. Unlike other neighbourhood plans, this one combines strategic lines for 2035 with concrete short and medium-term actions until 2028.
This approach involves anticipating, detecting opportunities, and planning and prioritising actions with a full and flexible outlook to adapt to the changing context of the area. Beyond specific projects, the singular plan serves as a laboratory for new public policy methods in areas undergoing major urban changes, following the Barcelona Neighbourhood Plan's philosophy of testing and promoting new ways of urban public intervention.
La Marina del Prat Vermell and La Marina del Port, located in the Sants-Montjuïc district, border L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the southwest. The area is undergoing a deep transformation driven by structural, urban, and social factors that are redefining its role within the city. These changes, though interconnected, develop at different paces, collectively shaping the future of La Marina.
