Abstract Manager

This presentation shares the author’s own research undertaken while living on the boundary street of a “Superblock” (Superilla) centred on the Colegio Jesús Maria school in the Pextina neighbourhood of Valencia, Spain. The objectives of this presentation are twofold. First, to share unique insights and tangible outcomes of a “school streets” intervention in a different part of the world to where TAC practitioners typically operate. Second, to explore the wide range of pedestrian activities that occur in this space and the design interventions that affect those activities. In locations like this superblock, the typical definition of a “pedestrian” expands from a mode of travel to passive and active activities such as after-school play, parent socializing, and outdoor dining. 

Superblocks, best known for their implementation in Barcelona, are groups of streets within an urban grid that are re-configured to prioritize local uses. Public transit and regional traffic are encouraged to use the outer streets of the superblock area. Internal streets are prioritized for public spaces, pocket parks, and pedestrian travel, with vehicle access limited to local needs such as deliveries and resident garage access.

In 2023, the Superilla de la Pextina project was completed by the local government of Valencia to transform the internal streets of four city blocks into a pedestrian-focused park and play area, largely diverting through-travelling motor vehicles around these blocks. The project was delivered using lower cost, semi-permanent materials, maintaining most of the original road curbs and asphalt. In this presentation, visuals of the superblock layout and surrounding mobility network will be presented along with a summary of the key pedestrian design elements within the superblock.

Three years after the project’s implementation, the presenter undertook on-the-ground research comparing and contrasting the core of the superblock to the perimeter streets. Qualitative and quantitative observations were compiled on parameters such as average noise levels, air quality indicators, weekday and weekend volumes of pedestrians, wheeled mobility devices, and motor vehicles, as well as commonly observed passive and active uses of the superblock spaces by residents, visitors, and businesses. 

The presentation additionally highlights the impact on school travel, social activity and active play that the superblock currently has on the families attending Colegio Jesús Maria. Finally, observations are shared around the quick-build implementation at this location, and how it may continue to evolve over time.