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New European Bauhaus
News article6 May 2021

Putting schools at the centre of city transformation

We are interested in making our cities safer, healthier, and more lively. 

31_ Escuelas_web
Protegemos las escuelas
Barcelona City Council

Let's protect schools and our children!

This is the objective of a programme that the municipal government of Barcelona shared through our website. It's designed to improve educational facilities and their surroundings so that they are safer, healthier, and more lively. 

Children spend a lot of their time in schools. Environmental pollution, unhealthy air, noise, poor conditions of public spaces, and unsafe roads pose some serious risks for the kids.

The city intends to move towards a new urban model where schools are central to transforming public spaces.

It's about advancing the pacification of 200 schools & nurseries of the city with actions that:

  •  reduce car use, environmental noise & accidents 
  •  generate meeting spaces for the local community
  • create friendlier spaces for spontaneous play 
  •  improve the environmental quality of schools 


The objective is to make at least 1 out of 3 schools in the city safer & more lively with reduced traffic by 2023 and all 200 by 2030.

For the improvement of public space, urban planning actions will be combined with structural changes and other tactical ones according to the needs and conditions of each case. Solutions adapted to each centre will be designed, always under the premise of offering comfortable living areas with more vegetation & shade. 

To reduce traffic, the space for vehicles will be reduced by eliminating traffic lanes & parking spaces. The maximum permitted speed will also be reduced to 20km/h; vertical and horizontal signage and information radars will be placed. Traffic lights will be adapted, lighting will be improved & security elements such as railings and pylons will be installed. To make the speed reduction effective, each school's location has been specifically analysed to determine the most appropriate measures. 

A monitoring plan taking into account environmental data before and after the interventions will evaluate the impact on air quality & noise. Measuring the effects on health & well-being is also proposed.

The project involves schools through participatory methods.

? Protegemos las escuelas © Barcelona City Council

 

Details

Publication date
6 May 2021