Barcelona Field School 2024

Barcelona has been at the forefront of transformative urban planning for the last three decades. The Mediterranean city was discovered as an architectural gem and tourist destination following the 1992 Olympic games. Since then, city planners in Barcelona have undertaken transformative interventions that have created highly attractive, vibrant and walkable streets, plazas and public spaces. Initiatives in Barcelona such as the Superblocks, School Streets and Bike Bus have received international acclaim and praise for pushing the boundaries of best practice, prioritizing people over cars, and creating new public spaces with tactical and structural designs. Together, these projects have firmly established Barcelona as one of the most exciting cities in urban planning and design.

Program

The Barcelona Field School is a one-week program designed for experienced planning professionals, architects and designers interested in discovering Barcelona and learning how the city has succeeded in creating high-quality public spaces. You will engage with senior planning officials who have led this transformation. Together, we will walk through the streets of Barcelona to see how they have radically restructured urban land uses and streetscapes to improve residents’ health and quality of life. We will examine lessons learned and best practices in this beautiful people-centered city. Participants will immerse themselves in the life of the city through site visit and conversations with city leaders, advocates, and academics, in order to understand the rich history of the city, its relationship to local culture, social conditions and politics.

The Barcelona Field School provides professional planners with a unique opportunity to gain an insider’s view into how this European city is building a climate resilient city. We will also discuss the global pressures that are typical of highly attractive global cities, including gentrification, tourism and the contestation of public space.

Pre-Registration & Enrollment

Only 12 participants will be invited to join the Barcelona Field School in May 2024. Certified planning professionals (AICP, CIP) will be prioritized for enrollment; however this course is open to all professionals in the fields of urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, and urban policy. Submit an expression of interest (pre-enrollment) to learn more about the program.

Highlights

• • Take a stroll in Barcelona’s Superblocks with the urban planners who envisioned, designed and implemented the world’s most ambitious city model to re-prioritize streets for people instead of cars
  • Trace the origins of Barcelona’s founding as a Roman colony along the Mediterranean
  • Engage with peers working to create a greener, healthier and climate resilient public spaces
  • Discover medieval Barcelona and stroll along Las Ramblas, one of the world’s most renown pedestrian promenades
  • Ride in Barcelona’s Bike Bus and meet with civic activists working to advance active travel for kids.
  • Be inspired by watching children play in the new School Streets
  • Meet with high level city planning officials in Barcelona, City Council members (current and former) to discuss current challenges
  • Visit Antoni Gaudí’s architectural masterpiece, la Sagrada Familia and as well as Gaudí’s great work of landscape architecture, el Park Güell.

If you are interested in learning more about the 2024 trip scheduled for 26-31 May 2024, please pre-register.

For inquiries: info@citylabbcn.org