Barcelona’s ambitious metropolitan plan to modernise urban planning and mobility has been delayed by at least three years. The Metropolitan Urban Development Plan (PDUM), which was originally due for approval in 2024, is now unlikely to be finalised before 2027.
The project aims to transform outdated highways and road networks into urban avenues that better connect neighbouring municipalities, reduce car dependency by 50% by 2050, and create over 200,000 new housing units. Streets like Balmes, Muntaner, Meridiana, and Gran Via are already undergoing disruptive long-term works to expand pedestrian zones and public transport.
However, the AMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Area authority) has struggled to coordinate across municipalities. While individual cities press ahead with isolated projects, the metropolitan vision of uniting the territory into a cohesive, human-scale network has become stuck in bureaucracy.
Urban planners argue that without the PDUM, progress risks becoming fragmented, with some areas advancing while others remain locked in outdated infrastructure. Residents meanwhile continue to suffer traffic congestion and construction disruptions.
Source: LaVanguardia
