start-with-the-park

68 Start with the park
CASE STUDY
Parque de la Solidaridad,
Barcelona, Spain
4 hectares
Link communities
Construction period
1996–97
Background
In Barcelona, the two suburbs of Can Clota and
Can Vidalet were built in the 1960s and 1970s at
high density. They have remained relatively deprived
and are under-served by parks and squares. In the
mid-1990s an association of Barcelona’s 27 local
authorities decided to design and build a park to
join the two communities.
Ring and trunk roads around Barcelona have divided
communities in many outer urban areas. Many urban
areas in the UK also suffer from severance caused by
large-scale transport infrastructure. The Parque de la
Solidaridad suggests a possible solution by bridging
the motorway, thereby linking two residential areas and
creating four hectares of public space. This case shows
that in areas of high-density development with limited
opportunities for green space, the space above roads,
railways or even buildings can be used as an excellent
piece of urban green infrastructure.
Planning and design
Sergi Godia and Xavier Casas designed the park to
span the valley formed by an old river course. The park’s
leisure facilities occupy a series of outdoor rooms on
graded platforms.
The park is centred on a wide pedestrian way that links
into the existing urban fabric on each side of the road.
The design emphasises the panoramic views of the
surrounding hills and the sea in the distance.
The central axis is flanked with planting and seating.
The path is well lit to encourage its use throughout
the night. The neon strip-lighting is designed to be
seen from the motorway, serving as a gateway
and a symbol of the integration of two previously
divided communities.
Outcomes
The park has become so well used by local people
that the local authority has had to maintain it much
more intensively than originally planned. The success
of this demonstration project has led to similar
projects in other areas of Barcelona.
Lessons learnt
• Good parks and green spaces can provide
a link between separate areas and reduce
the severance effects of large-scale
transport infrastructure
• Where there is no room for green spaces
because of high density of other uses, parks
can be created on top of buildings or
other infrastructure.