Urban Planning and Governance: Is there a Barcelona Model?

Barcelona has become well known in Europe for its ambitious programmes of planning and urban regeneration, undertaken under the leadership of the city council. It has been claimed that a 'Barcelona model' of planning has been formed, whether in local urban planning, or in overall city strategic planning, or both, and with this a distinctive approach to urban governance. Whilst some of the dimensions of change have been fully described, they have been analysed rather less; this applies particularly to the period after 1992. Four somewhat distinct forms of planning are examined ('normal' urban planning, strategic planning, infrastructure planning and metropolitan regional planning). An assessment is made as to how far these have formed a coherent whole, and whether this has been problematic for how the development of the city is being guided.