The Effect of Superblock Urban Form Features on Modal Choice in Barcelona Superblock Residents

This master’s thesis aims to discover the effect of urban form features on modal choice in the context of superblocks in Barcelona. Superblocks are an urban design intervention that reduce vehicular through-traffic, taking urban street space dedicated to cars and repurposing it for more human-centered uses such as biking, walking, socializing, playing, or exercising. As cities continue to grow faster than ever before, a focus on sustainable urban development is paramount to building a healthy environment for the 2.5 billion additional inhabitants that are estimated to live in urban areas by 2050 (United Nations, 2015). Rapid new urban development must be coupled with the retrofitting, or repurposing, of existing urban forms in order to sustainably accommodate this level of population growth and build a happy, healthy urban future. One way of retrofitting streets for this future vision is through the implementation of superblocks. Reclaiming street space from cars, and thereby reducing both the number of cars in circulation and the demand for cars, helps alleviate the many symptoms of car-heavy societies. These symptoms range from traffic-induced air pollution, which is a main contributor to global warming, to the various negative effects on human health from air pollution, noise pollution, and physical inactivity. Superblocks promise to address these issues using low-cost, tactical urban design and traffic calming interventions. Their implementation has been particularly successful in Barcelona, which is why this research is based there. The main objective of this research is to better understand how superblocks affect modal choice, or transportation choices, in residents who live in or near them. The research aims to test the hypothesis that appreciating certain urban form features that are related to superblocks can predict more active and sustainable mobility choices such as walking, biking, or using public transport in place of a private car or taxi. This hypothesis was based on findings from an in-depth literature review which compiled the critical determinants of modal choice across both urban form-related and non-urban form related research. Based on the literature review, the three urban form concepts that were found to be most closely related to superblocks were human scale, complexity, and the built form. Thus, the main research question is: “to what extent does appreciation of superblock urban form features relating to the built form, complexity, and human scale predict modal choice in Barcelona superblock residents?” A survey was chosen as the methodology for its wide reach and generalizability about the population in question, which is superblock residents. Ample data was gathered regarding self-reported modal choices and self-reported appreciation for urban form features. Descriptive summaries are presented and results are discussed. Multiple regression analysis is performed but results are largely inconclusive. Shortcomings of the present research and suggestions for future research are discussed. Findings from this research aim to provide support for the continued implementation of superblocks in Barcelona and for other cities looking to implement superblock programs in the future as part of their sustainable urban development strategies.