The territorial division of Barcelona: the new districts

Abstract

One of the most ambitious projects of the Barcelona City Council is to, endow each District wich roles and functions aimed at bringing management closer to the citizens, rationalizing administration and improving its implementation. With this end in mind, the first step taken by the council elected democratically in 1979, was an agreement to stablish new divisions in the city, which would be more closely adjusted to socio-economic realities in the different districts (the former subdivisions dated from 1949), and better adapted to the need for rationality in municipal administration (according to population number and surface area). The basic objectives of the final project were: respect historical units, whilst recognizing new spatial realities; design the adjudication of administrative functions in such a way as to encourage citizen participation. The final project was accepted and passed by the Catalan Autonomous Government (Generalitat) on 29th February 1984.