Superblocks: from Barcelona to the World🚶♀️🚲🌳🏘️
Master the art of reimagining public space by learning directly from the case of Superblocks in Barcelona.
🏙️ What’s super about superblocks?
A Superblock is a cluster of city blocks where through traffic is limited, creating calmer, low-speed environments where pedestrians and cyclists come first. Public space is transformed — from roads into parks, playgrounds, and plazas.
What’s super is that it “creates” enjoyable spaces in the city without requiring new land. As such, it works in dense urban environments, right where we need more public space.
Imagine neighborhoods where children play safely, older adults enjoy peaceful strolls, and public space is shared respectfully by everyone. This is the core idea behind the Superblock — a bold urban design approach that reclaims city space for people, health, and community.
This month, we’re partnering with UMX by EIT Urban Mobility to dive into how Superblocks are reshaping our cities into greener, more inclusive places to live. Inspired by the groundbreaking work in Barcelona and beyond, the Superblocks concept reorganizes urban areas to reduce car dominance and prioritize walking, cycling, and local life.
🌟 Monthly Insights with UMX
UMX by EIT Urban Mobility offers free courses for urban professionals who want to lead the change. This month, we’re highlighting the course ‘Superblocks: Rethinking Cities and Urban Spaces for Citizens’, where you’ll learn practical tools to design streets that support well-being, sustainability, and community life.
Ready to unlock the full potential of your city? Learn how to create livable, people-first neighborhoods — one Superblock at a time.
🏙️ 5 Things to Know About Superblocks (and How They Can Transform Your City):
🚦 1. Through Traffic Is Rerouted — and That’s a Good Thing
In a Superblock, motorized through traffic is diverted around the perimeter. Inside, speed is limited to 10–20 km/h and vehicle access is restricted to residents, deliveries, and emergency services. This calms traffic and drastically improves safety.
📌 Fact: In Barcelona’s pilot Superblock in Poblenou, traffic was reduced by 58%, and pedestrian space increased by 80%.
🌳 2. More Green, Less Grey
Superblocks repurpose road space into greenery, shade, and open areas. This boosts biodiversity, mitigates heat, and provides vital urban cooling — especially important in dense cities.
📌 Fact: Barcelona aims to create 503 new green spaces as part of its Superblock strategy, addressing both climate adaptation and quality of life.
🛑 3. Noise and Air Pollution Drop Significantly
Reducing car traffic leads to measurable environmental benefits. Within Superblocks, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and noise pollution drop, creating healthier neighborhoods.
📌 Fact: Studies found a 33% reduction in NO₂ levels within the Poblenou Superblock and a noise reduction of 5.4 decibels — enough to noticeably improve mental well-being.
👥 4. It’s a Social Shift
Superblocks don’t just change streets — they change behavior. Kids play outdoors more often, neighbors talk, and the sense of community deepens. The design encourages walking and cycling, helping shift away from car dependence.
📌 Fact: In Poblenou, residents reported more social interaction, greater use of public space, and a stronger local identity.
🔧 5. Superblocks, Beyond Superblocks
The superblock is now not merely a space. It has become an approach. The Superilla Barcelona program takes the principles of superblocks but applies them to linear street design, where pedestrian use is prioritized.
📌 Fact: You don’t a grid layout to implement the principles of superblocks. As an example, check out how Barcelona is redesigning La Meridiana, a linear avenue and former urban highway.
📖 Ready to Reimagine Your City’s Streets?
Take this free, self-paced course: Superblocks: Rethinking Cities and Urban Spaces for Citizens
🎓 Taught by Leading Urbanists:
This course has been developed with the kind support Salvador Rueda, director of the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona, Màrius Navazo, geographer and consultant for the firm GEA21, and Rodrigo Vargas, architect and urban planner.
🌐 Multiple Languages Available:
To make this course accessible for a greater audience, the videos’ subtitles are available in English, French, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.
📚 In This Course, You Will:
✅ Understand the origin and core principles of the Superblock model
✅ Learn how to redesign urban areas to prioritize people over cars
✅ Explore real-world Superblock projects, with a focus on Barcelona’s transformation
✅ Discover tools to engage communities and scale up tactical urbanism initiatives
🌟 Why Enroll:
Whether you're an urban planner, policymaker, mobility expert, or city enthusiast, this course gives you the knowledge and tools to reclaim public space, reduce traffic, and foster healthier, more connected neighbourhoods.
Here’s what you can expect:
✔ Free to Join: No enrollment fees
✔ Flexible Learning: Study on your own schedule
✔ Global Access: Learn from anywhere, anytime
✔ Actionable Knowledge: Apply what you learn to real-world projects
✔ Certificate Option: Upgrade your CV with a certified achievement
🚶♂️ Who Should Take This Course?
Urban planners, mobility professionals, architects, environmentalists, community leaders, students, and anyone passionate about transforming cities into greener, more livable spaces — starting one Superblock at a time.
🔎 Explore More Free Courses with UMX
Urban Mobility Explained (UMX) by EIT Urban Mobility offers a variety of free, self-paced courses available for urbanists worldwide. UMX helps professionals like you level up your skills and become urban mobility insiders. Backed by their extensive network of 750+ top European entities and experts, including city planners, academics, and consultants, they offer a diverse array of courses, short videos, and other tailored learning resources to help you stay on track and refine your desired skill set.
Join us on this journey. Apply for your first UMX course today and drive the change!
Warm regards,
The All Things Urban Team