MD Urban Design for Healthy Cities

Research Tools / Social Map of Poblenou.
Today’s post explores the Social Map of Poblenou, a research tool used to understand the neighbourhood beyond its physical form.
By mapping associations, cooperatives, public facilities, commercial activities, public spaces, mobility routes, and areas of conflict, the map reveals how social life is distributed across the urban fabric. It highlights a strong presence of local associations, cultural spaces, sports facilities, and small businesses, while also showing tensions linked to gentrification, tourism pressure, noise, privatization of public space, and the growing contrast between traditional businesses and technology industries.
The map also identifies key urban challenges: green spaces are concentrated toward the tourist-heavy coastal edge, pedestrian connections remain fragmented, and despite a high elderly population, there is a lack of retirement homes and public health facilities.
As a research tool, the social map helps us read Poblenou as a complex network of communities, services, conflicts, and opportunities. It becomes a foundation for designing more inclusive, resilient, and socially responsive urban strategies.
healthycities placemaking inclusivecity greencity localcommunities participatorydesign urbanism urbanmapping socialinfrastructure masterinsustainablecities

Synthesis Workshop / Portsea Turton
Nou Age, Poblenou
Today’s post explores Nou Age, a proposal that transforms a block in Poblenou into a health-oriented urban system for an ageing population.
The project combines decentralised healthcare, elderly and cooperative housing, active courtyards, walkable routes, and productive rooftops. Through the Nouage Circuit, health hubs, social housing, gardens, and community spaces are connected to support ageing in place, everyday wellbeing, and stronger neighbourhood identity.
By merging care, housing, heritage, and environmental resilience, the project imagines Poblenou as a healthier, more inclusive urban fabric.
circulareconomy humancentreddesign localcommunities participatorydesign energyefficiency urbanmetabolism urbanism poblenou

The city is a living text — and the best way to read it is on foot. 🏙️

As part of our Master in Urban Design, we took to the streets to explore housing projects and public spaces that are shaping the way people live, gather, and belong.

Every corner, every bench, every façade tells a story about how design decisions impact real lives. These visits remind us why we do what we do: to build cities that are more human, more equitable, and more alive.

📍 Learning beyond the classroom.

UrbanPlanning DesignThinking BuiltEnvironment Architecture CityLife

Cultural Dimension/ Portsea Turton / In today’s post we discover a micro project development in Poblenou, Barcelona.

The importance of the environment in the well-being of our cities and their citizens today is evident. The quality of the water, the air and the soil, the care of the vegetation, and the fauna that accompanies us, are essential to enjoy a good environment. They constitute our natural heritage. And it has another face, which we call cultural heritage that results from human intervention. This course wants to reflect on the importance of cultural heritage in the identity of places, in the safeguarding of their memory, and how it contributes to the wellbeing of the city in terms of social connectivity, sense of belonging and the empowerment of its society.

climatechange greencity circulareconomy humancentreddesign

Environmental Dimension / Health Evaluation and Assessment of Urban Planning Interventions / Maha Alahmad (), Karen Niyonizeye () / “In today’s post we analyse Plaça Kennedy in the Sarrià - Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona.

The new proposed intervention tries to expand the free area, creating more inclusive green space for users and creating multidisciplinary zone where different activities can take place throughout the day.

BlueHealth Behavioral Assessment Tool provides information about the physical activity of the users, study human behavior and make comparisons between groups of people. Thanks to this tool we have been able to make sure that the project, apart from the studied urban conditioning factors such as accessibility and connectivity, green spaces and open spaces or activity, will attract more users to the place.”

Social Dimension / Environmental Justice/ Sara Kaso (._kaso), Celina Wallnöfer ()/ “The area under study in Poblenou is bordered to the north-west by the Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes, in the north-east by Rambla de Prim, in the south-east by Cristobal de Moura and in the south-west by Selva del Mar. This was once a neighborhood full of small factories that is now being revitalized in an attempt to recapture the spirit of it’s industrial heyday.

Most of the interventions so far are not really elderly appropriate and also not used by this group. If we want to transform the district and continue with further innovations, we have to consider the needs of all the population groups, to ensure environmental justice and health equity for everyone, especially the vulnerable. Especially women, who make the majority of this group, but receive the lower retirement.”

Cultural Dimension / Place Attachment / Kani Jaff (), Maha Alahmad (), Safaa Zarea (.abdelwahab97), Fatima Zahra Mellouki (.mlk) / “Respondents attach themselves to a place that is most closely related to their family, their community or their memories. Most of these people share much the same attachment, even for those who have not lived here for long, their families have imprinted on them the identity of the place.

They have had very positive experiences in Poblenou, which makes them want to stay as long as possible.

Moreover, they are neither for nor against gentrification, in fact they think that what would be beneficial for the neighbourhood and for them is the right balance in terms of architecture. However, on the level of their visual comfort, they are bothered by new modern buildings. Quoting Fainstein and Campbell (2002), who state that the “stability of disadvantaged neighbourhoods is threatened by urban renewal projects”.

We can only wait and see how Poblenou and its residents will fare in the long term with the continuation of the 22@ project.”

Synthesis Workshop / Maha Alahmad (), Safaa Zarea (.abdelwahab97) / “PART I. The project is located in the Poblenou neighbourhood, on the plots located between C/ de Pere IV, C/ del Marroc and C/ de Cristobal de Moura.
The proposed urban design is configured firstly by identifying the pre-existing buildings that are maintained on the project plot, preserving the identity of the neighbourhood. Then, different connections are considered, which have different entities and configurations depending on the particular street they form, such as micro-passages with the potential to connect heritage axes or green axes.
The project complies with the requirements of the regulations applicable to the 22@ neighbourhood, which require land to be used for 22@ activities, social housing, public green space and facilities.
The ground floor is permeable and aims to incorporate different uses that help to achieve a healthier city, such as spaces dedicated to waste management, waste workshop or secondhand shop. In addition, having investigated the needs and deficiencies of the neighbourhood, the proposal introduces necessary facilities for its users, such as a CAP or sports spaces. All this configures a proposal that respects the surrounding environment, its memory and history, thus preserving its identity and incorporating uses that allow the proposal to be respectful with the environment and providing solutions and complying with the regulations required by local planning.”

#22@activities

Environmental dimension / Food & Water / Sara Kaso (._kaso), Karen Niyonizeye (), Celina Wallnöfer () / “This project is carried out in the Poblenou superblock. It deals with the use of water and how to try to minimise its consumption and in what quantity. It proposes to collect, store and reuse rainwater, reducing the need for processed water. It is collected mainly from roofs and other built-up surfaces. This rainwater is collected in barrels, tanks, wells or chambers. From this storage, rainwater or greywater can be used for swimming pools, flushing toilets, laundry, watering gardens, livestock and animals.

The project also aims to design a food system that integrates sustainable production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management to improve the environmental, economic and social health of the selected superblock.”

Economic Dimension / Sustainable Economy / Yara Naji (), Fidelia (), Paula Lizcano () / “The project consists of proposing sustainable buildings in Poblenou.

Here’s why. Poblenou is a neighbourhood that is transforming and changing, with new opportunities arising in terms of investment. Why not make these investments sustainable? Sustainable buildings have benefits in environmental, financial and social dimensions. Firstly, the cost of construction will be reduced, especially if local materials are used. Waste will also be minimised, as buildings will have a lower environmental impact and use renewable sources and materials. Buildings will also have systems that collect, recycle, store and reuse rainwater, as well as produce solar energy. In addition, we focus on quality of life and offer the community dedicated spaces for social activities, leisure and comfort. Generating this social dimension strengthens the bond of the community within itself, but also with the environment.

Investing in this project will be investing in 3 economic concepts (sustainable, circular and doughnut) which are all environmentally responsible and put the environment and people first. This is the future. After all, we care about the health of our planet as much as we care about the health of our people. “