Last updated: November 2021
The gardens of the Rambla de Sants is an elevated linear park (similar to the High line of New York) located in the Sants district of Barcelona (760 meters long and about 6 ha size). It is located over the structure of train and metro lines. It was opened to the public in August of 2016. The gardens include mainly native plantations, playground areas, and other facilities (Ref. 2).
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Railroad bank and track greens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Parks and urban forests
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Noise reduction
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
The suspended park of Barcelona was built to cover the train and subway tracks that bothered the residents of the neighbourhoods of Sans and Bordeta with their noise and aggressive visual (Ref 5). Even though the primary goal of the intervention was to redesign the area to make it more appealing and phase the noise challenge of passing trains, the project is focused on the application of plants with architecture in order to create a green space for locals and tourists to enjoy. (Ref 8)
Implementation activities
In 23 months, 21.000 m2 of green roofs were built, which ends at Riera Blanca Street with the "Didactic Garden", a space that brings together plants from Barcelona from the 18th century, now rare in the city. The third phase of the work is the most complex and controversial of all, as it involves expropriations of commercial and residential real estate, as well as the future of Can Vies, a building occupied by a social movement. When completed, the raised green area measured a total of 31,300 m² (Ref 5). The importation of an undulating landscape combined with dense vegetation generate spaces in which people get the impression of a ‘rus in urbe’, a refuge of suspended above the busy streets of Barcelona (Ref 7).
- Air-Clean pavements were used in the park, which are made with substances such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) that in the presence of light radiation -sunlight, collaborate in the neutralization of polluting substances such as nitrogen dioxide, the main component of pollution caused by fossil fuels (Ref. 12)
The vegetated corridor is a strategically postioned dense mix of native and exotic tree’s including Tipuana, Sophora, Koeleuteria and Malus “Everest”. The remainder of the planting scheme has been divided into a bright and warm mix of of Bulbine frutescens, Salvia splendens, Rosa acicularis. Hedra helix is used in the exposed areas and its cultivars and Vinca, Gaura and Lantana in the shaded areas, accompanying the north route.
Along the infrastructural facades, climbing plants such as Hedera helix, Trachlospermum jasminoides and Parthenocissus tricuspidata have been positioned on a cable system that will allow them to cover all the facades except the glazed areas.
The importation of an undulating landscape combined with dense vegetation generate spaces in which people get the impression of a ‘rus in urbe’, a refuge of suspended above the busy streets of Barcelona (Ref 7).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore valued species
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- District/neighbourhood association
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The promenade, which measures a total of 760 meters, has been designed by architects Sergi Godia and Ana Molino (Ref 2).
Design: Sergi Godia, Ana Molino, arquitectos Esteyco Ingenieria
Client: Ayuntamiento de Barcelona through BIMSA-- Barcelona Infraestructures Municipals SA, Ministerio de Fomento through ADIF, Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona through GISA
Management: BIMSA Barcelona Infraestructures Municipals SA
Ingenieria.
Contractors: COMSA , OHL (Ref 6).
The NBS is part of the Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability founded in partnership with the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) and a research group from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) in Barcelona. The lab develops novel research that builds on urban planning and policy, social inequality, and development studies. The main emphasis is on the opportunities and challenges created by urban municipal, community, or private initiatives that enhance sustainability, equity, and health in cities. The lab is correlated to Horizon 2020 - NATURVATION Project (Ref 8).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Other
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Other
Economic impacts
- More sustainable tourism
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Guía Barcelona (no date). Jardins de la Rambla de Sants. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
2. Designboom (no date). Jardins de la rambla de sants is a park elevated above railway lines in Barcelona. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
3. Divisare (no date). A public space project in the district of Sants. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
4. Wales, S. (2016). High line: Barcelona’s elevated public space brings a bucolic bent to the cityscape. Source link. Available at: Article on the NBS: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
5. Ecotelhado (2017). "Conheca los Jardins de la Rambla de Sants: O “High Line” de Barcelona". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
6. Molino, A. and Godia, S. (2016). "La Rambla de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
7. NBS description: Source link (website not available in 2020)
8. CNUEJ (2016). The Rambla de Sants Gardens are open to the public with the pending challenge of integrating the Can Vies building into the new space. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
9. Source link (2016). The Rambla de Sants Gardens are now open to the public. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
10. Europa Press. (2016). "Vecinos de Sants votan llamar Jardins de la Rambla de Sants a la zona verde que cubre las vías". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
11. Ajuntament de Barcelona (2016). "Finalitza la urbanització de la cobertura de les vies de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
12. Breincosmartblog (2018). "Barcelona. Highline de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
13. Toala, M. L., Angulo, M. C., Jové, E., My Hua, N. and Hugen, N. (2019). "Impacto y conflicto por el highline de Sants, Barcelona". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
2. Designboom (no date). Jardins de la rambla de sants is a park elevated above railway lines in Barcelona. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
3. Divisare (no date). A public space project in the district of Sants. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
4. Wales, S. (2016). High line: Barcelona’s elevated public space brings a bucolic bent to the cityscape. Source link. Available at: Article on the NBS: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
5. Ecotelhado (2017). "Conheca los Jardins de la Rambla de Sants: O “High Line” de Barcelona". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
6. Molino, A. and Godia, S. (2016). "La Rambla de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
7. NBS description: Source link (website not available in 2020)
8. CNUEJ (2016). The Rambla de Sants Gardens are open to the public with the pending challenge of integrating the Can Vies building into the new space. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
9. Source link (2016). The Rambla de Sants Gardens are now open to the public. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
10. Europa Press. (2016). "Vecinos de Sants votan llamar Jardins de la Rambla de Sants a la zona verde que cubre las vías". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
11. Ajuntament de Barcelona (2016). "Finalitza la urbanització de la cobertura de les vies de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
12. Breincosmartblog (2018). "Barcelona. Highline de Sants". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)
13. Toala, M. L., Angulo, M. C., Jové, E., My Hua, N. and Hugen, N. (2019). "Impacto y conflicto por el highline de Sants, Barcelona". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 17, 2020)