Urban renewal in Barcelona

This Getting Started uses the concept of ‘Thirdspace’ to assess the success of urban renewal policies in an area of Barcelona from the perspective of the residents. It is relevant to topics such as world cities, rebranding places and managing urban change. Although this is a case study from Barcelona, the technique can be used for any area where urban renewal has taken place.

The rich–poor divide: old housing (left) and gentrified housing (right)

The renewal of urban areas is an important A-level topic. Investigations into whether or not redevelopment and rebranding schemes have been successful tend to focus on economic indicators, such as whether or not an area now generates income. But putting people at the centre of the study allows us to look critically at whether these strategies have had any impact on those who live and work in the city, in areas known as ‘lived space’. This Getting Started uses a way of investigating lived space — the concept of ‘Thirdspace’ (Inset 1) — to see how those who live in the Ravel district of Barcelona have been affected by the rebranding strategies introduced there.

The city of Barcelona in Spain (Figure 1) has experienced much redevelopment, particularly in areas associated with the 1992 Olympic Games. One neglected area is the southern part of city called the Ravel (El Ravel), close to the port of Barcelona. Due to its location, it has been the destination for generations of migrants. Now, over half of the area’s 46,000 population are foreign born, with Pakistanis the dominant ethnic minority.