Spatial and social justice on and beyond the streets: reflections on Barcelona's mobility and housing policies

Faced with global crises, many cities are experimenting with new urban models to reduce car use, promoting more sustainable mobility and reclaiming public space and urban greenery. However, while certainly an improvement, these experiments also risk contributing to gentrification, increasing the cost of living and of housing in the areas concerned. This article considers the case study of Barcelona, and analyses how the municipal government, between 2015 and 2023, has sought to balance well known sustainable mobility policies, such as the superblock experiments, with housing policies aimed at mitigating these risks and expanding the supply of public housing.