Green light for a new episode in the long reconquest of the coastal strip for citizen use that Barcelona undertook more than 30 years ago. The Town Planning Committee of the City Council has initially approved the executive redevelopment project for the central section of Paseo de la Mar Bella, from the municipal sports complex to Josep Pla street, just before the Fòrum marine platform.
What today is a deserted and wasted space next to the sea will become a place with better communications, green and adapted to the new landscape conditions dictated by the fight against climate change, that is, with vegetation adapted to these circumstances.
The space affected by this urban project occupies an area of ??about 11 hectares from end to end. Action will be taken in three areas: the Poblenou-Agapito Fernández municipal soccer field; that of the Paseo de la Mar Bella itself (which covers an area of ??more than 40,000 square meters) and that of the marine platform. This is the missing piece to complete the transformation of Barcelona’s waterfront, from Barceloneta to the Fòrum and Besòs.
The layout of the new promenade should help to soften a highly frequented area. The project foresees that the width of the pedestrian promenade is at least 12 meters, that it is well lit and that, to avoid the perception of insecurity, it offers good visibility and eliminates corners. It will also include a 4 meter wide lane for bikes and electric scooters.
The promenade will be accessed from the city mainly by crossing the cans of Bac de Roda, Selva de Mar and Josep Pla. These will end in a kind of gates to the sea where citizen information points, beach bars, beach volleyball courts, rest areas, bike parking lots and, as a prominent element, some stands that will function as a viewpoint towards the sea will be installed.
The new configuration will also facilitate direct access to the Mar Bella sand. The two current levels will disappear to merge the promenade and the beach through gentle ramps and slopes that reduce the existing unevenness.
The promenade will have a thousand newly planted trees and 17 different species that will try to provide shade on the seafront.
After the initial approval of the executive project, which has had the votes in favor of BComú, PSC, ERC, Ciudadanos, PP, Valents and the non-attached councilor Marilén Barceló and the abstention of Junts, a process begins that could culminate with the Work begins in the second quarter of 2024. Its duration will be 20 months and they have a budget of 21.2 million euros.
