Barcelona

Barcelona is now widely recognized as one of the most successful cities in the world, internationally acclaimed for its innovative urban planning. It has survived the economic, environmental and social changes of the last decades through focusing upon the provision of knowledge-based and information services to place itself in the forefront of a new urban wave, in which city planning provides high-quality opportunities for people to live and work.Barcelona is administrative divide in five neighborhoods: L´Antiga Esquerra de l´Eixample (in the past, part of Esquerra de l´Eixample), La Nova Esquerra de l´Eixample (in the past, part of Esquerra de l´Eixample), Dreta de lÉixample, Fort Pienc and Sant Antoni.  The Eixample (Catalan for 'extension') is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns, constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The government in Madrid gave the architect Ildefons Cerdà i Sunyer the contract to realize this extension. The district is often divided for practical purposes in two: Esquerra de l´Eixample and Dreta de l´Eixample (left and right sides of Eixample, respectively). Traditionally and officially it is divided into five neighborhoods, these are, in addition to the areas already mentioned, Sant Antoni, Sagrada Familia and Fort Pienc, also known as Fort Pius. The Eixample is characterized by long straight streets, a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and square blocks with chamfered corners. The whole district should be crossed by one diagonal road, which is called “Diagonal”. The blocks would not be higher than 4 floors, between the houses there should be space for parks and trees. The original idea was to make most of the streets traffic free. Other of the most characteristic feature of Cerdà's plan is the 45º angled corner of each block (chaflanes). This grid pattern was a visionary design who considered traffic and transport along with sunlight and ventilation in coming up with his characteristic octagonal blocks, where the streets broaden at every intersection making for greater visibility, better ventilation and (today) some short-stay parking space. The right of the Eixample contains most of the more distinguished architecture since it was the first area to be developed, with many 'palaces' designed by Gaudi for the wealthy textile merchants. Many flats have ceased to be family homes and are now given over to professional offices, banks, museums, main shopping avenues, modern bars and restaurants. The great avenue of the Passeig de Gracia forms a linear extension to the CBD stretching north from Plaça Catalunya. Thus Barcelona provides an excellent example of urban growth, from the middle ages to the present. The city's landscape is clearly a product of its past and its present. Barcelona underlines the way in which modern cities combine major international trends with distinctive and local characteristics. This city is an icon of a good urban planning that should be echo in other cities of the World. media type="file" key="Barcelona.wav" align="center"
 * Barcelona **