Barcelona will install awnings at Portal del Àngel and along the seafront to provide more shade.

BarcelonaTaking a stroll through Barcelona in the heat can be a real ordeal. Finding shaded areas to take a break and recharge is a challenge. This Wednesday, Barcelona City Council took a step forward with its Shade Program by launching a competition to win awnings and other sun protection measures for three iconic locations in the city: Portal de l'Àngel, Plaça Comercial (also known as Plaça del Mercat del Born), and the Passeig Marítim, between the Port Olímpic and the city center. According to Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet, the proposal will provide at least 5,000 square meters of new shade in these three locations by the summer of 2027, with a total budget of €2.15 million for the installation.

After conducting a diagnostic assessment of the three selected areas, it was found that they are very sunny and busy spaces. It was also taken into account that they are representative of the city, whether due to their heritage or their landscape. The municipal government's aim is that the competition now being launched will allow these new shaded spaces to be ready by the summer of 2027.

In a statement, the Barcelona City Council indicates that the proposals will have to meet a series of requirements, such as having high architectural quality, integrating into the landscape, being sustainable, and above all, being modular, easy to install and dismantle, and adaptable to other locations in the city.

An alternative to vegetation

According to the city's plans, the Plaça Comercial (Commercial Square) needs to gain shade over 1,400 square meters with a budget of €600,000; on the Passeig Marítim (Seaside Promenade), the minimum area to be covered will be 1,600 square meters with a maximum of €700,000, and at Portal de l'Àngel, 2,000 square meters will need to be shaded with a maximum budget of €850,000. In this third location, the possibility of adding a row of trees and vegetation to optimize shade in the area is also being studied; a strategy that the city council does not consider optimal everywhere, even though it is the best alternative.

The overall budget for the Shade Program is €15 million and aims to create more than 52,000 square meters of shaded area throughout the city. So far, the program's actions have focused on children's play areas, and by the end of the year, a total of 63 shade systems will have been installed in these spaces. According to the city council, the forecast is that by the end of 2027, 25,000 square meters of new shade will have been created in 120 play areas, with an investment of 8.5 million euros. Work has also been carried out in 36 school playgrounds, and the aim is to reach 66 shaded playgrounds by the summer of 2027.