ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Barcelona Nature Plan 2030
Barcelona has produced a participatory strategy to turn the city into a greener and more sustainable environment. Its main aims include, among others: increasing the amount of green infrastructure in the city to adapt to climate change and bring it closer to the public; conserving and promoting biodiversity; carrying out and consolidating management based on an ecological approach and naturalization; and teaching citizens about caring for nature, as well as getting them involved. The plan sets out concrete actions for a healthier city with a connection to nature.
Challenges addressed
• Climate change challenges: Urban areas, particularly densely populated cities like Barcelona, are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as heat islands and intense storms.
• Biodiversity loss: Urbanization often leads to habitat fragmentation, which threatens biodiversity.
• Citizen limited access to nature: Many urban residents face limited access to green spaces, affecting both physical and mental well-being.
Main objectives
• Increase green infrastructure: expand the city’s green spaces by 160 hectares from 2015, with a focus on improving climate change adaptation services and ensuring better access to nature for all residents.
• Ecological management and naturalisation: implement ecological management practices and naturalisation processes in urban areas, enhancing both citizen health and biodiversity conservation.
• Biodiversity conservation: Promote biodiversity by protecting species, enhancing their habitats, and ensuring ecological connectivity. This includes creating 10 biodiversity shelters.
• Citizen engagement: foster citizen involvement in the conservation and care of urban nature, promoting knowledge, enjoyment, and active participation in the preservation and improvement of green spaces.
External resources
Facts
Project type Urban naturalization project
Partners Ajuntament de Barcelona, Parcs i Jardins de Barcelona, Institut Municipal.
Beneficiaries Barcelona municipality and citizens
Dates 2021 – Ongoing
Website Website’s project
Project description
The Barcelona Nature Plan 2030 is a strategic participatory tool that has the vision of a city in 2050 with a functional and ecological green infrastructure, spread and accessible greenery that is connected to the urban fabric, and a green metropolitan network, to maximize social and environmental services, above all those of health and adapting to climate change. This urban nature network is appreciated and conserved as a natural heritage of the Earth and as a benefit for people, present and future generations, who can enjoy the
connection with nature and are involved in the creation of green spaces and the conservation and improvement of biodiversity.
An essential part of drafting the Nature Plan was the participatory process. This was carried out in several stages and served to share the diagnosis, agree on long-term goals and challenges, and gather proposals on biodiversity and greenery for drawing up the action plan. The stages were divided up as follows: internal work resulting from the experience of implementing the previous plan; co-designing the new plan with various City Council’s services; conducting a technical comparison of actions and projects with external experts from organizations involved; and citizen participation to enrich the entire plan.
Impact and results
- The Barcelona Nature Plan 2030 has successfully expanded green spaces by 160 hectares, improving urban biodiversity and citizen well-being.
- It also created 10 biodiversity shelters and engaged citizens in the conservation and care of urban nature, contributing to climate change adaptation and ecological preservation.
