Assessing the vehicular occupation of urban space in compact cities: some urban fabrics of Barcelona

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of vehicular occupation on Barcelona’s urban space and its implications for public life. The quality of urban space and its impact on residents is a key concern for public administrations. The presence of road traffic significantly influences this perception. Balancing the needs of pedestrians and ensuring access to essential services requires a careful consideration of objective data in public space policies. By categorizing the city’s surface occupation into built footprint, vehicular areas, and non-vehicular spaces, the study provides an assessment. Twelve diverse neighborhoods were selected as case studies, and a combination of fieldwork and mapping techniques was employed to analyze urban space occupation. The findings reveal spatial variations in the distribution of vehicular and non-vehicular spaces across different fabrics. By integrating numerical data and visual representations, it contributes to evidence-based decision-making in urban planning. The study emphasizes the importance of data in guiding urban policies and fostering sustainable urban environments and serves as a preliminary exploration of vehicular occupation in Barcelona's urban fabric. Ultimately, the goal is to create cities that accommodate the diverse and complex activities of the city and improve the quality of life for residents.