Barcelona Plans to Connect Raval with the Sea via New Urban Axis

The Barcelona City Council is driving an urban strategy until 2035 to revitalize Ciutat Vella, including a new corridor parallel to La Rambla.

Aerial view of an urban area with an axis connecting the center to the sea.
IA

Aerial view of an urban area with an axis connecting the center to the sea.

The Barcelona City Council has unveiled an ambitious urban strategy for Ciutat Vella, aiming to connect the Raval neighborhood with the sea through a new axis to be developed by 2035.

This initiative, part of the Pact for Ciutat Vella, seeks to boost the district and enhance public spaces. One of the most prominent proposals is the creation of a corridor extending from Plaça de la Universitat to the Columbus Monument, passing through Rambla del Raval and Avinguda de les Drassanes.

"A space of quality, normality, and life could be created; now it seems like the Raval's backyard."

the commissioner of the Pact for Ciutat Vella
According to the commissioner of the Pact for Ciutat Vella, this connection would allow the district to be "restitched" and the Drassanes area to be "recovered," transforming a currently degraded zone into a space of coexistence and urban quality. The plan outlines fifty actions with a target completion year of 2035.
The urban strategy will focus on leveraging existing natural axes, such as Passeig de Joan de Borbó, Via Laietana, and La Rambla, to give them new impetus. The intention is to turn them into "backbones" that link Ciutat Vella with the sea and the rest of the city, fostering social cohesion through urban furniture renovation, the introduction of more green spaces and shade, and the revitalization of ground-floor areas.
Planned reforms include interventions on Pepe Rubianes street, the old hospital, Plaça de la Gardunya, Plaça dels Àngels, and Can 60, which will become a social and community hub. Sports facilities in Raval Sud will also be improved, such as the future conversion of the Drassanes sports court into a covered multi-sports center.
To implement some of these actions, a modification of the current urban planning will be necessary, which the commissioner has described as "exhausted." This review will open the door to new opportunities, especially in housing, where the council is committed to rehabilitating the existing housing stock, considered aged in this district.