Barcelona City Council has given final approval to the Vallcarca Central Park project in the Gràcia district, with construction expected to start by the end of 2026. The park aims to provide a new green space for the neighbourhood, which officials say has been in a provisional state for decades.

The Government Commission's definitive approval means work on the 10,000 square metre park will begin in December 2026 and is estimated to last 18 months. The park will be bordered by Vallcarca Avenue, the Vallcarca Viaduct, Gustavo Adolfo Becquer Street, and Cambrils Street.

Preliminary work in the area started in July last year with the construction of a new street basketball court, which is expected to finish in the coming weeks. The park is part of a broader municipal strategy to improve Vallcarca by adding more housing, green spaces, and public areas.

Laia Bonet, Councillor for the Gràcia district and First Deputy Mayor, stated, "The approval of this project is good news that shows how the transformation in Vallcarca is not stopping, to take the neighbourhood out of the provisional state it has been anchored in for years and create more housing, improve public space, and locate quality green areas for residents." Bonet added that Vallcarca "could not wait any longer" and that the municipal government is unblocking projects like the park, which resulted from a participatory process with residents.

New Features and Accessibility

The future park will include existing urban allotments, covering nearly 200 square metres. It will also feature new accessible routes, seating areas, play zones, and new vegetation, with permeable spaces designed to manage rainwater. New trees will be planted to provide shade, addressing climate change concerns.

The park project is divided into two main areas: a more urban section near surrounding buildings with a flatter, controlled topography, and a more naturalised area that will absorb most of the elevation changes through terraces.

Accessibility between streets and facilities around the park will also improve. A new main pedestrian route will cross the park, connecting Vallcarca Avenue, under the viaduct, with Gustavo Bécquer Street at the entrance to the Maria Baldó gardens. The park will also have access points from various locations on Vallcarca Avenue, Cambrils Street, and Gustavo Bécquer Street.

The urban plaza area will be an open space with children's play areas, vegetation, and seating. It will also host outdoor community activities and events requiring a large space. The more naturalised area will feature accessible terraces linked by ramps and stairs. Two of these terraces will house urban allotments, and the upper terrace will have a picnic area. The total budget for the park's urbanisation and the future renovation of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Cambrils streets, planned for a second phase, is €8,927,124.35.

Expanding Housing Options

To increase public housing in Vallcarca, the city council is currently tendering projects for two new affordable housing developments. These will be built on plots at Farigola Street 10-12 and Mare de Déu del Coll Street 101-109, providing 20 and 27 homes respectively. Once the projects are drafted, the works will be tendered, licences processed, construction executed, and homes allocated. These flats will become part of the Municipal Housing Institute of Barcelona (IMHAB) portfolio.

Additionally, the allocation process has started for 36 affordable rental homes in the Grèvol development. This project, led by the SALAS Foundation and the Nou Lloc Foundation, is supported by an agreement with IMHAB, which granted a 99-year surface right for the plot at Vallcarca Avenue 112-120. The homes are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.

Specific homes in this development are reserved for people with reduced mobility, those under 35, single-parent families, and neighbourhood residents. The remaining homes will be allocated to the general pool of applicants registered with the Official Housing Applicants Register of Barcelona. Overall, urban plans for Vallcarca anticipate up to 500 homes, with 40% being publicly protected housing on municipal land.

Ongoing Infrastructure Works

Works are also underway on the service ring for the Can Farigola neighbourhood, known as the Vallcarca service ring. This project involves environmental urbanisation and the construction of service channels in Mare de Déu del Coll, Farigola, Medes, Cambrils, L'Argentera, and Calendau streets. Works on Cambrils, L'Argentera, and Calendau streets are complete, while work continues on Medes and Mare de Déu del Coll streets. Can Farigola Street will be urbanised last.

In parallel, Barcelona City Council is progressing with the expropriation of four properties on Vallcarca Avenue, between Ballester and Agramunt streets. This will allow for the construction of a storm tank, a critical infrastructure in the context of climate change, which will be located underground beneath the future Green Rambla.