In an ambitious effort to revitalize and maintain the city, Barcelona has announced an unprecedented investment of 435 million euros through 2027. The first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, and the deputy mayor for Safety, Albert Batlle, unveiled this initiative as part of the ‘Endreça’ plan, highlighting a paradigm shift that prioritizes prevention to address urban maintenance.
This significant investment, which triples the amount allocated in the previous mandate, seeks to address a persistent concern: the lack of renovation and maintenance in parallel with the constant transformation of the city. Bonet emphasized the need to move from a reactive approach of repair to a proactive one of continuous renewal.
Of the $435 million, $180 million will be under the management of the city’s 10 districts. This decentralized approach allows districts to propose specific investments according to the needs and priorities of their local communities. This inclusive approach is a step towards a more participatory and personalized administration.
The remaining portion, some €255 million, is considered to be in the general interest of the city and will be allocated to various key areas of maintenance and renovation. The main areas of intervention include street lighting, parks and gardens, sewerage, fountains, traffic lights, paving, escalators and elevators, among others.
435 million investment for the comprehensive renovation of urban infrastructure
One of the highlights of this plan is the renovation of 24 escalators, representing 24% of the total in the city. These stairways, mostly located in Carmel, are between 15 and 20 years old and will undergo significant improvements to ensure their optimal operation and the safety of users.
The renovation of 56% of the city’s elevators will also be addressed, with a particular focus on Nou Barris, where 15 of the 26 planned interventions will take place on Carrer d’Aiguablava. These improvements seek not only to maintain the infrastructure in optimal conditions but also to improve urban accessibility.
The investment will include the renovation of 11% of the traffic lights in the city, covering approximately 4,500 units. In addition, pavement improvements will be made, repainting 620,000 square meters, and 35% of the horizontal signage will be renewed to improve road safety. In addition, it is planned to improve 12% of parks and gardens, covering 25 green spaces in the city.
The improvement of the urban environment also includes the renovation of 3,500 streetlights, as well as the optimization of critical points in 22 kilometers of sewers. As part of the plan, new groundwater reservoirs will be built to increase their capacity by 15%, thus strengthening the city’s water infrastructure.
Sustainable Transformation
The ‘Endreça’ initiative not only represents a considerable monetary investment in urban infrastructure, but also symbolizes a change of mentality towards a more sustainable and preventive model. Barcelona seeks not only to meet current needs, but also to ensure that the city remains vibrant and functional in the future.
