The Eixample of Barcelona: one plan, two realities. Comparative study of the urban development of two urban fabrics: the central expansion and the Poblenou expansion

Abstract

Ildefons Cerdà’s Eixample Project for Barcelona proposed an unlimited layout based on a modern grid of wide streets and large blocks. A characteristic of the layout was the homogeneity of the urban form. Factors such as the pre-existing agricultural activity, however, conditioned the growth of the Eixample into two differentiated urban fabrics: the central urban extension developed on dry agricultural land that comprised blocks with residential buildings and on the perimeter and a ground floor and inner courtyard for productive use. Poblenou, more resistant to changes of use due to the value of the irrigated agricultural land and its isolation as a result of the railway system, comprised a model with low-rise buildings and full land occupation. The objective of this article is to carry out a comparative study of both expansion models from the historical review of their development but also from the analysis of indicators on their current urban morphology.