Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area has launched IMPULS Besòs, a €15 million urban regeneration plan targeting the Besòs river zone. The project aims to transform eight vulnerable neighbourhoods across Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona, tackling social, environmental and infrastructure challenges. Of the total funding, €6 million comes from Spain’s central government through EU FEDER funds, with the remaining €9 million split between the metro area and both councils.
Antonio Balmón, executive vice-president of the metro area and Cornellà mayor, calls IMPULS Besòs “the only urban innovation laboratory led by a metropolitan authority in Spain”. The project focuses on making solutions scalable across the whole metro area. It also incorporates lessons from European projects to boost urban resilience, aiming to become a benchmark for urban transformation and social cohesion.
The plan works across three main areas. The civic axis targets improving life along the C-31 Gran Via Metropolitana, promoting walking and cycling whilst sorting out safety issues in underpasses. Meanwhile, the historic axis looks at transforming the old N-2 road (Avenida de Alfonso XIII in Badalona and Pi i Margall in Sant Adrià) through re-greening and urban renewal, with special focus on an intelligent bus corridor and bike lanes.
The project will also create an urban innovation lab and a cross-council centre to tackle social, urban and climate vulnerability. Finally, the blue axis focuses on renewing the riverside path between Pollancreda bridge and Pont dels Passadors in Chopera, extending the Besòs river walk with new social and environmental uses.
The 12 transformation projects cover six Badalona neighbourhoods (Artigas, el Remei, Sant Antoni de Llefià, Sant Joan de Llefià, Sant Mori de Llefià and Sant Roc) plus two in Sant Adrià (Sant Adrià Nord and Sant Joan Baptista). The aim is to regenerate the territory, improve quality of life, boost sustainability and overcome infrastructure barriers that fragment the area.
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