{"id":109787,"date":"2023-07-24T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T05:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=109787"},"modified":"2023-07-17T16:37:59","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T14:37:59","slug":"history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/","title":{"rendered":"History of Eixample in Barcelona: Plan Cerd\u00e0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eixample is one of Barcelona&#8217;s <strong>most characteristic and recognisable districts<\/strong>. Its straight streets and wide avenues are an obvious testimony of urban planning with a keen eye for the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>Cerd\u00e0 Plan<\/strong> &#8211; or in Spanish <em>Plan Cerd\u00e0<\/em> &#8211; was definitely a milestone in the history of Barcelona&#8217;s urban planning, and it was made up of an impressive network of streets. In today&#8217;s article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\">ShBarcelona<\/a> will tell you all about Plan Cerd\u00e0 and Barcelona&#8217;s urban planning history.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#The_historic_context_of_Eixample\" title=\"The historic context of Eixample\">The historic context of Eixample<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#Ildefons_Cerda_a_visionary_architect\" title=\"Ildefons Cerd\u00e0: a visionary architect\">Ildefons Cerd\u00e0: a visionary architect<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#The_start_of_Plan_Cerda\" title=\"The start of Plan Cerd\u00e0\">The start of Plan Cerd\u00e0<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#Zonification_and_mixed_use\" title=\"Zonification and mixed use\">Zonification and mixed use<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#Implementation_and_legacy_of_Plan_Cerda\" title=\"Implementation and legacy of Plan Cerd\u00e0\">Implementation and legacy of Plan Cerd\u00e0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/history-of-eixample-barcelona-plan-cerda\/#Todays_Eixample_in_Barcelona\" title=\"Today&#8217;s Eixample in Barcelona\">Today&#8217;s Eixample in Barcelona<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_historic_context_of_Eixample\"><\/span>The historic context of Eixample<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to understand the importance of Plan Cerd\u00e0 and the history of Eixample, one must dive into the <strong>historic context of a Barcelona in the 19th century<\/strong>. Half way through the century, the city expanded extensively due to industrialisation and economic growth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The narrow and medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter were not prepared to accommodate a rapidly growing population, and this automatically led to to a call for <strong>new urban planning<\/strong>. This is where Ildefons Cerd\u00e0 comes into the picture.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_109795\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109795\" class=\"size-full wp-image-109795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/plan-cerda-barcelona.jpg\" alt=\"Plan Cerd\u00e0 of Eixample in Barcelona\" width=\"810\" height=\"568\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-109795\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Plan Cerd\u00e0 of Eixample in Barcelona<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ildefons_Cerda_a_visionary_architect\"><\/span>Ildefons Cerd\u00e0: a visionary architect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As we already mentioned before, this is the moment in time where <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ildefons_Cerd%C3%A0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ildefons Cerd\u00e0<\/a> writes history. He is an <strong>engineer and Catalan architect<\/strong> with a revolutionary vision for Barcelona&#8217;s urban development. Ildefons Cerd\u00e0 comes up with a <strong>clever and unique plan<\/strong> to make sure the city will be able to expand, all the while disregarding traditional planning principles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">His objective was to design an <strong>innovative and functional urban space<\/strong> that would focus on the needs of its inhabitants and improve overall quality of life. All this would be made possible without denying the economic growth status of the city of Barcelona of that time.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_start_of_Plan_Cerda\"><\/span>The start of Plan Cerd\u00e0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plan Cerd\u00e0 was based on two fundamental pillars, and this is how the architect envisioned it:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>A <strong>network of straight, wide avenues that directly connect the different districts<\/strong> in the city.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Octagonal blocks<\/strong> that allow for better circulation and use of its interior space.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The project would include a central square with landscaping for each block, and it would provide its residents with <strong>green zones and leisure spaces<\/strong>, both in the streets and in the block itself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-104522\" style=\"max-width: 850px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-20-3 metaslider metaslider-responsive metaslider-104522 ml-slider\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_104522\">\n        <ul id='metaslider_104522' class='rslides'>\n            <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_self\"><img width=\"850\" height=\"182\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/en-1.jpg\" class=\"slider-104522 slide-104523\" alt=\"rental apartments in Barcelona\" rel=\"\" title=\"Banner medio home inquilinos\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Zonification_and_mixed_use\"><\/span>Zonification and mixed use<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plan Cerd\u00e0&#8217;s concept of zoning was also introduced into Barcelona&#8217;s urban planning. Ildefons Cerd\u00e0 suggested dividing the area in zones, by <strong>separating residential areas from those with industrial and commercial purposes<\/strong>. This type of zoning resulted in a better organisation of the city, and it avoided certain problems that would normally be caused by mixing different activities in a certain zone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plan Cerd\u00e0, however, also strived to implement residential blocks with mixed use to encourage <strong>diversity and vitality within each urban area<\/strong>. It meant that blocks would not only be destined for housing, but would also include small shops, schools and local services.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The combination of functions had a unique effect on the community, making it a <strong>lively urban environment<\/strong> that allowed for social interaction between its residents.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_109794\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109794\" class=\"size-full wp-image-109794\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/areas-green-zones-eixample.jpg\" alt=\"Areas and green zones of Barcelona\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-109794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Areas and green zones of Barcelona &#8211; Photo via Unsplash<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Implementation_and_legacy_of_Plan_Cerda\"><\/span>Implementation and legacy of Plan Cerd\u00e0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ildefons Cerd\u00e0&#8217;s urban plan was gradually implemented <strong>from the 1860s and onwards<\/strong>. They started executing his plan in the centre of the city and expanded outwards. It transformed the urban landscape completely. In the last few decades, <strong>several modernist buildings<\/strong> have been constructed in the streets of Eixample, giving Barcelona its unique architectural identity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">One cannot deny the legacy of Plan Cerd\u00e0. The way Eixample was designed has helped define the city of Barcelona itself as a <strong>modern, elegant and innovative city<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/discover-eixample\/\">Discover the district of Eixample<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Todays_Eixample_in_Barcelona\"><\/span>Today&#8217;s Eixample in Barcelona<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nowadays Eixample is still<strong> one of Barcelona&#8217;s most appealing districts<\/strong>. The streets of Eixample are filled with energy and life, caused by the presence of a variety of shops, restaurants, caf\u00e9s and entertainment options. Eixample, in addition, is home to many of the city&#8217;s <strong>main tourist sights<\/strong>, like the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batll\u00f3 and Casa Mil\u00e0.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to preserve Eixample&#8217;s character, efforts to help balance urban development have been underway, and of course these support Cerd\u00e0&#8217;s legacy. Key focus points are affordable housing and <strong>architectural heritage protection<\/strong>. Every action should improve the district&#8217;s quality of life and contribute to urban sustainability.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_109793\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109793\" class=\"size-full wp-image-109793\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/plan-urban-barcelona.jpg\" alt=\"Urban Plan of Barcelona\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-109793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Urban Plan of Barcelona &#8211; Photo via Unsplash<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Plan Cerd\u00e0 and the way Eixample was designed are a clear representation of Barcelona&#8217;s urban planning history<\/strong>. What was once a bold project, with its wide avenues, octagonal blocks and areas of mixed use, has now left a lasting impact on the city.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The unique charm and cultural and architectural wealth of Barcelona&#8217;s Eixample has resulted in it being a <strong>vibrant and essential part of the city<\/strong>, attracting both residents and visitors from all over the world.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"109787\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate us!<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eixample is one of Barcelona&#8217;s most characteristic and recognisable districts. Its straight streets and wide avenues are an obvious testimony of urban planning with a keen eye for the future. The Cerd\u00e0 Plan &#8211; or in Spanish Plan Cerd\u00e0 &#8211; was definitely a milestone in the history of Barcelona&#8217;s urban planning, and it was made [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":109796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[615],"tags":[4019,9968,9967],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109787"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109787"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109800,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109787\/revisions\/109800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}