From Joanic in the Plaza del Mar and Portal del Ángel: where Barcelona's new shaded spaces will be located

BarcelonaBefore the days arrive when the heat and sun take their toll on public spaces, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni presented the City Council's plans this Wednesday to create more shaded areas in the Catalan capital. This strategy envisions the creation of 194 new sun shelters during this term, with new shaded areas in places such as Plaça Joanic in Gràcia, Plaça del Mar in Barceloneta, and the Portal de l'Àngel in the city center.

"The climate changes, and the city must adapt," Collboni argued at a press conference in Antonio Santiburcio Park in Sant Andreu, one of the parks that already has awnings for sun protection. "What we want to avoid is having squares, parks, and streets that people in the neighborhood can't use because of the heat and sun," he added.

To combat sunstroke and create 50,000 new square meters of shade in the city, the council's plan includes several strategies. The main one affects 120 playgrounds in the city, 52 of which will have new shade by summer and 14 more before the end of the year. The goal is for a third of the city's playgrounds to have shade before the end of the term.

Among the playgrounds that will enjoy sun protection before the end of the year are those in Josep Maria Folch y Torres Square (Ciutat Vella), the Rosa Deulofeu Gardens (Eixample), the Three Chimneys Gardens (Sants-Montjuïc), Virri Square (A), and Can Robacols Square (Sant Martí).

Fifteen school playgrounds will also have new shade this summer. Schools such as Collaso i Gil (Ciutat Vella), Costa i Llobera (Sarrià-Sant Gervasi), Teixidores de Gràcia (Gràcia), Torrent d'en Melis (Horta-Guinardó) and Segre (Sant Andreu) will join the 21 schools where the City Council has already installed shade.

New trees

However, the City Council's plan also includes shade at 29 public spaces. In this regard, seasonal awnings will be installed—currently between Sant Joan and La Mercè, but with the option to extend the season later—at 16 locations throughout the city. This summer, they will be available in Plaça del Mar, Rambla del Carmel, and on the slab of Sant Andreu Comtal station. And for next summer, the plan is for them to also extend to Plaça Joanic and Plaça Lesseps (Gràcia), Plaça Àngel Pestanya and the Aqueduct Park (Nou Barris), and Plaça del Canòdrom (Sant Andreu).

In addition, the City Council also plans to plant trees in ten areas of the city where it had initially decided not to plant trees. These spaces include the Portal del Àngel (Ciutat Vella), the Olympic Promenade (Sants-Montjuïc), the façade of the Royal Palace park on Diagonal (Corts), General Moragues Square (Sant Andreu), and the Clot de la Miel (Sant Martí). The entire project has a budget of €13 million.