GREATER BARCELONA & Regional Planning 1897 - 1936 C.E.
Part of the 1932 Regional Plan
The turn of the century saw the rise of Greater Barcelona. This was the expansion of the city into the entirety of the Barcelona plain and the development of institutions to properly serve the population of this new urban agglomeration. This process was set into motion by the Cerdà plan, as it called for the expansion of the city into the territory of other municipalities, which would obviously require annexation, or at least coordination and cooperation between all the municipalities involved. In 1897, Barcelona succeeded in annexing all the municipalities in the Barcelona plain except for two, which would be annexed later in this time period. In addition, the political situation in Catalonia was changing, as new Catalan political parties were being formed and the idea of Barcelona as the capital city of the Nation of Catalunya was in ascendance. To remodel itself as a capital city, Barcelona worked to improve its infrastructure and to extend its physical and its political reach. The first step in this improvement was to physically connect Barcelona with its newly annexed suburbs by way of new infrastructure and new development. This was accomplished via a plan submitted in a contest by Leon Jaussely, a French urban planner from Toulouse. After revisions, this plan was presented to the public and adopted in 1907. The plan defined the macro structure of the road system and systematized the rail layout to make for proper connections. It also introduced a park system for the entirety of the new city. (Busquets 2005, pp. 189-194
It was also in this time that the electrification of the city began in earnest, as a grid for the greater Barcelona area was implemented, private households were hooked up to the grid, and the metro train system began to convert to electric power. As part of this process, the utility companies of Barcelona were born, including the Energía Eléctrica de Cataluña in 1913. The electrification of the metro railway was particularly important, as it allowed the rapid expansion of the system, enabling the urbanization of Barcelona’s hinterlands. It was also in this time that the school system was radically reformed and expanded to meet the needs of Greater Barcelona. Dozens of new schools were built and public sector took on a much greater role in the education of the city’s children. (Busquets 2005, pp. 208-211)
This period also saw the formation of GATCPAC (The Group of Catalan Artists & Technicians for the Program of Contemporary Architecture), which was an avant-garde group of architects and urban designers who sought to radically change how buildings and cities were designed in Catalonia, with some limited success. That latter part of this period also saw the rise of formal regional planning of Greater Barcelona and also Catalonia. The two principal documents produced by this planning movement were the Regional Plan of 1932 and the 1936 Territorial Division of Catalonia. These planning documents are what really brought Barcelona into the era of modern urban & regional planning. (Busquets 2005, pp. 234-240)
It was also in this time that the electrification of the city began in earnest, as a grid for the greater Barcelona area was implemented, private households were hooked up to the grid, and the metro train system began to convert to electric power. As part of this process, the utility companies of Barcelona were born, including the Energía Eléctrica de Cataluña in 1913. The electrification of the metro railway was particularly important, as it allowed the rapid expansion of the system, enabling the urbanization of Barcelona’s hinterlands. It was also in this time that the school system was radically reformed and expanded to meet the needs of Greater Barcelona. Dozens of new schools were built and public sector took on a much greater role in the education of the city’s children. (Busquets 2005, pp. 208-211)
This period also saw the formation of GATCPAC (The Group of Catalan Artists & Technicians for the Program of Contemporary Architecture), which was an avant-garde group of architects and urban designers who sought to radically change how buildings and cities were designed in Catalonia, with some limited success. That latter part of this period also saw the rise of formal regional planning of Greater Barcelona and also Catalonia. The two principal documents produced by this planning movement were the Regional Plan of 1932 and the 1936 Territorial Division of Catalonia. These planning documents are what really brought Barcelona into the era of modern urban & regional planning. (Busquets 2005, pp. 234-240)
The Civil war & Its Aftermath 1936-1944 C.E.
The breakout of civil war in 1936 put a halt to the progressive strides that were occurring in architecture, design, and planning. Many of the members of GATCPAC were killed or exiled because of the war. Catalonia was a region that was staunchly on the side of the Republican Left, and its institutions were punished in their defeat by the Franco regime. It was during the war that George Orwell fought on the side of the Republican Left, and he afterward wrote the book Homage to Catalonia about his experiences in the war. He was particularly enchanted with the city of Barcelona as it existed during its period of anarchist/socialist control, when nearly all the business in the city were collectivized and the people worked as one to take care of each other and to fight the forces of fascism. Although the war itself had little effect on the urban form of Barcelona other than the bombing of the city by Mussolini’s forces in 1938, the victory of the Franco regime had a lasting impact on the people of Barcelona and all of Spain for decades. His fascist repression destroyed the democratic institutions and the progressive movements upon which the people relied. Planning, architecture, and art all suffered under Franco’s regime. Many parts of Barcelona became cities of slums and squatter settlements. These were the gray post-war years, and although it was a period of little progress, that in itself makes it a critical point in the history of Barcelona. (Busquets 2005, pp. 262-267)
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Democratization, Urban Renaissance, & The Olympics
1979-1992 C.E.
Olympic Park
The death of Franco and the democratic reforms of the newly-crowned King Juan Carlos I were the beginning of a new chapter for both Spain and the city of Barcelona. The newly-established democratic city council and the office of mayor were both in the power of the socialist parties for years after democratization. Their program of urban revitalization and the creation of new public spaces has breathed new life into the urban fabric of Barcelona. The reforms instituted by this progressive urban regime include the restructuring of the metropolitan industrial system, the reorganization of city’s political divisions, (Busquets 2005, pp. 343-347)
The particular attention of this progressive urban regime towards open space and public parks is revolutionary. From small parks to large ones, from public furniture to fountains, from old-style parks to innovative new forms of public space, the renovation of the communal spaces of the city in just a few years is astounding. (Rowe 2006, pp. 55-66)
In addition, the city successfully won the bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics, and the preparations for the games were intense. The city once again used a major international event to push through major public improvement projects, just like it did with 1888 Exhibition, although the achievements this time around are probably less grand and long-lasting. However, the construction of the Olympic Park and the facilities to host the game were truly impressive. (Rowe 2006, pp. 82-103)
Moving forward, the city has accomplished and continues to accomplish great things in the fields of public space, greenspace creation & preservation, public social initiatives, public works, and good urban planning. Barcelona will likely remain a valuable study piece for years to come, as we continue to watch the practice of urban planning unfold in a cosmopolitan city of pedestrianism, communalism, density, and development.
The particular attention of this progressive urban regime towards open space and public parks is revolutionary. From small parks to large ones, from public furniture to fountains, from old-style parks to innovative new forms of public space, the renovation of the communal spaces of the city in just a few years is astounding. (Rowe 2006, pp. 55-66)
In addition, the city successfully won the bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics, and the preparations for the games were intense. The city once again used a major international event to push through major public improvement projects, just like it did with 1888 Exhibition, although the achievements this time around are probably less grand and long-lasting. However, the construction of the Olympic Park and the facilities to host the game were truly impressive. (Rowe 2006, pp. 82-103)
Moving forward, the city has accomplished and continues to accomplish great things in the fields of public space, greenspace creation & preservation, public social initiatives, public works, and good urban planning. Barcelona will likely remain a valuable study piece for years to come, as we continue to watch the practice of urban planning unfold in a cosmopolitan city of pedestrianism, communalism, density, and development.