TuneOurBlock - Transforming urban quarters to human scale environments: applying superblock concepts for different urban structures

Meeting sustainability goals like the Paris Agreement or SDG11 requires re-allocating urban space to transform the metabolic regime of mobility towards a fossil-fuel-free, zero-emission transport system prioritising walking, cycling and public transport. Barcelona’s Superblock concept – a disruptive spatial and mobility innovation emphasising human scale – opens pathways for climate-adapted, healthy and resilient cities where accessible and connected micro-neighbourhoods ensure liveability and sustainability. Such re-allocation of street space is currently of utmost importance in urban adaptations to COVID19.

TuneOurBlock validates, internationalizes and expands the Superblock concept as policy and planning strategy for transformational urban adaptation. Municipal planners, practitioners, researchers, and NGOs, co-create effective and transferrable guidelines, policy options and tools for implementing Superblocks in varied urban contexts. TuneOurBlock examines strategies to respectfully involve diverse stakeholders and explores practical steps for implementation processes. These strategies are tested in Urban Living Labs (Vienna & Berlin), validated by Europe-wide peer-groups of municipal and civic stakeholders.

TuneOurBlock provides recommendations for empowering Superblock implementations in European cities and general knowledge for how to effectively approach transformational urban interventions. A strong dissemination package transfers the results to policymakers, municipal administrations, academia, the private sector and civil society.