Barcelona City Council is planning a new urban axis to connect the Raval neighbourhood with the sea, running parallel to La Rambla. This initiative, part of a broader strategy for the Ciutat Vella district, aims to revitalise the area by 2035.
The proposed axis would stretch from Plaça de la Universitat to the Columbus Monument, passing through Rambla del Raval and Avinguda de les Drassanes. Ivan Pera, the commissioner for the Ciutat Vella Pact, stated this would help "re-stitch" the district and "recover" the Drassanes area. He described the current Drassanes as feeling like "the Raval's backyard" and said the plan could create "a space of quality, normality, and life."
This is one of around 50 actions outlined in the new Ciutat Vella urban strategy. The plan seeks to restore normality to the district and improve public spaces, giving them a central role. It is part of the wider Ciutat Vella Pact.
Revitalising Ciutat Vella's Urban Axes
The urban strategy focuses on existing natural axes within Ciutat Vella, such as Passeig de Joan de Borbó, Via Laietana, and La Rambla. The goal is to "convert them into backbone columns where action is taken integrally" to better connect Ciutat Vella with itself, the sea, and the rest of the city.
Within these spaces, the council plans to use existing facilities to encourage social cohesion, renew street furniture, introduce more shade and greenery, improve the connection between ground floors and the street, and launch social revitalisation programmes. Other planned reforms include improvements to Carrer de Pepe Rubianes, the old hospital, Plaça de la Gardunya, Plaça dels Àngels, and Can 60, which is intended to become a social and community hub in the neighbourhood. Sports facilities in Raval Sud are also set for upgrades, including the future conversion of the Drassanes sports pitch into a multi-purpose sports centre.
Urban Planning Changes Needed
Implementing some of these actions will require changes to current urban planning regulations. Pera noted that the existing planning is "exhausted" in many cases, and modifications will be necessary "to open the way for new opportunities that can be basic for the development of Ciutat Vella." Housing is one area where planning changes are needed to allow for new flats, although the council prefers rehabilitating the district's often-aged housing stock.
