The area of Marina del Prat Vermell is traditionally industrial, and has previously depended on agriculture and livestock for its economic development. As Barcelona’s population grows, the neighbourhood is facing rapid expansion. It is, however, considered a district with ‘great potential’ regarding development. 

BAGURSA, Barcelona’s municipal urban management company, has ascribed a development contract to RUBAU to expand and renew the area, with a budget of more than four million euros. Street lighting, sewers, water, sprinklers, gas and telecommunications will be implemented and expanded in the neighbourhood, as well as a sustainable drainage system where rainwater from sidewalks and roofs will be stored, filtered into the ground and used to water flower beds. Through the project, there will also be implementation of new streets, public transport, landscaping of streets and the creation of 11,000 new homes. 

Plans for the neighbourhood’s development aim to incorporate principles of sustainability as much as possible. The district’s central areas will comprise a 20,000 square metre park, which will include a resting and games area, a central square, a sloping garden, a sustainable urban drainage system garden and a big meadow (‘prat gran’). In addition, the neighbourhood’s centralised system of cold and hot water will have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 13,400 tonnes per year. The plans and design for the project stem from a participatory approach involving the neighbourhood’s residents.