Sant Martí is transformation, creativity, technology, and innovation. Sant Martí is beach and open-air sport. Its urban planning solutions, which promote a healthy lifestyle and combat climate change, are a benchmark not only for Barcelona, but also for other cities. With internationally awarded buildings such as the Gabriel García Márquez library, the best public library in the world, its neighbourhoods are among the best places to live in the world.

Despite the profound rehabilitation of the district, there is one thing that has not changed. Local commerce, associations and the closeness of its inhabitants are still very present. In its neighbourhoods you live in a big city with the tranquillity of a village. This is one of the singularities that make the neighbourhoods of Sant Martí so special and so highly valued.

A sensation reinforced by its connection with the sea, the differential point. Sant Martí has 4 kilometres of beach and more than 8 kilometres of promenade. On the 1992 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city opened up to the sea. Its beaches became the largest open-air leisure area in Barcelona. A new marina was also built and has been expanded to be more sustainable, accessible, and ready for major nautical events such as the America's Cup sailing competition.

The district that was born as an industrial zone grew around its factories and was urbanised to be the continuation of the Eixample. Wide, parallel, and transversal streets were laid out, with vertebral axes that cross the neighbourhoods, such as Avinguda Diagonal, Rambla del Poblenou, Gran Via and Carrer Pere IV.

Sant Martí is Barcelona's urban planning laboratory. When the factories left the district, they left large spaces and buildings in disuse. An opportunity that the neighbourhoods have been able to take advantage of. The proposals for its transformation face the current challenges and new lifestyles through innovative urban planning solutions. This is where the first super-islands, green axes and climatic refuges were built, the future of the city of Barcelona.

All this without forgetting its industrial past. The factory environments are still very present in Sant Martí, reconverted into spaces for citizens. The Gal i Puigsech factory is now Palo Alto, a space dedicated to the promotion of cultural and artistic activities. La Farinera del Clot is a civic centre and Ca l'Aranyó houses the Pompeu Fabra University campus.

However, the great success of this reconversion is the 22@ technology district. To reactivate 200 hectares in decline, due to the closure of factories, the ICT, BioMed, Energy and Design sectors were encouraged. The refurbishment of existing buildings or new constructions certified to the highest LEED levels has attracted the world's leading technology companies, start-ups, media, universities, and cultural and artistic training centres.

The neighbourhood of Sant Andreu del Palomar is the old centre of the district of Sant Andreu and is a village within the city. Places such as Plaça d'Orfila or Plaça del Comerç are a meeting point for a close-knit neighbourhood that feels more like Sant Andreu than Barcelona. Its peripheral location has allowed it to preserve its idiosyncrasy, its important commercial fabric, family treatment and long tradition. On the Rambla de Fabra i Puig, which connects several districts, you can still enjoy a coffee in the emblematic Colombia, run since 1913 by the same family. Quiet and family district with large parks such as Trinitat that even has a picnic area with barbecue or the Pegaso park, with an accessible route. Sant Andreu is also a district in transformation, which looks to the future, here the Sagrera station is being built, which will be the largest in Barcelona and will allow the stop of high-speed trains. Sant Andreu is a town that looks to the future.

Sant Andreu was an agricultural town that developed with the installation of large factory complexes at the end of the twentieth century. One of the most outstanding was Fabra i Coats, a large yarn company with more than 100 years of history and which employed up to 3,000 people. Although it closed in 2005, the factory is still very present in the neighbourhood. In 2008 it reopened as Fàbrica de Creació de Barcelona, now its warehouses host artistic creation projects, and such outstanding events are organized as the 42nd Festival of Fantastic Genres or the Fira Literal, two literary fairs with a long history. In the factory site there is also Can Fontanet - Els Tres Tombs Interpretation Centre, dedicated to one of the most beloved festivals in the neighbourhood and organised by the centenary group Society for the Feast of Sant Antoni Abad. Around January 17, spectacular horse-drawn carriages parade through Sant Antoni Abad, patron saint of animals, in honour of the saint.

Local commerce, with close and familiar treatment is another of the distinctive elements of Sant Andreu. It has a long tradition and is very present especially in its commercial axis, the Carrer Gran de Sant Andreu or in the Plaça del Mercadal where the municipal market is located. At the end of the nineteenth century, farmers and other merchants offered their products in the open air in this place. This motivated the construction of the market in 1914, today many of the stalls are run by the third or fourth generation of those first street stallholders. Although there is also room for franchises and entertainment. On the grounds of the old metallurgical factory, La Maquinista, one of the largest shopping centres in Barcelona was built, which retained its name as a reminder of the factory complex.

The district is also very well connected by public and private transport. Avinguda Meridiana, the third longest in Barcelona, crosses its neighbourhoods to connect the city with other municipalities. This road had been a dividing barrier until its redevelopment with new spaces to promote sustainable mobility. On the other hand, the largest station in the city is being built in La Sagrera that will connect high speed, commuter trains, intercity bus and metro. New streets and the new linear park of the Camí Comtal of 40 hectares will also be built on the roof of the terminal.

The future of Barcelona is being projected in the Bon Pastor neighbourhood. On the former Mercedes-Benz land, the construction of the city's first "ecodistrict" has been planned. The 9 hectares occupied by the engine factory will be transformed into a new sustainable mixed-use urban model that will combine homes, shops and municipal facilities. The industrial estate of El Torrent de l'Estadella, one of the last areas of industrial land in Barcelona, will also be improved so that it is no longer an isolated area, improving its productivity and connecting it with the rest of the urban fabric.

Nou Barris is the district of Barcelona with the most neighbourhoods, up to 13 units. It is one of the most diverse and unknown districts of Barcelona. From Collserola to Avenida Meridiana, enjoy the only urban beach in the city and many surprising parks, ideal for walking and disconnecting, such as the Rodrigo Caro Gardens. A green space with a 21-metre drops in altitude with more than 80 species, a themed route with gentle slopes to the Parc de Collserola. Nous Barris is familiar and quiet, with an important commercial fabric that is concentrated on Passeig de Fabra i Puig or Verdum, on Via Julia or Carrer Pi i Molist. It has an important associative network that has generated a rich cultural life such as L'estiu, al Pati! A cycle of free activities that, since 2016, offers shows, concerts and cinema in the courtyard of the District Headquarters.

Originally, Nou Barris was, like other neighbourhoods, a rural centre surrounded by farmhouses. One of the few vestiges of that past is found in Pere d'Artés street where the church of Santa Eulàlia de Vilapicina is preserved next to the Can Basté farmhouse, currently converted into a civic centre. Forming a unique ensemble that stands out among the high blocks of flats that define the neighbourhood. Most were built during the 20th century to respond to the lack of housing, offering residence to workers who arrived in the city. In Turó de la Peira you can keep "Can Peguera", the last of the so-called cases barates in Barcelona. In the 1920s, four complexes of this type were built in various neighbourhoods to relocate the neighbourhood from the slums of Montjuic. Neighbourhood pressure managed not only to prevent their demolition, but to rehabilitate them by turning them into an island of tranquillity, a stronghold surrounded by blocks of flats.

Due to its working-class origins, the neighbourhood union is deeply rooted, the associationism helped in the improvement of services, the construction of new municipal facilities and even the realization of innovative cultural projects such as the Ateneu Popular 9 Barris. The neighbourhood transformed an old asphalt factory into a public space where the performing arts and, especially, the world of the circus are promoted. In La Prosperitat, the Casal del Barri and the Casal de Joves, manage to turn the Plaça d'Àngel Pestaña into the only urban beach in Barcelona. For three weeks in July, the Prospebeach is held, filling the square with sand to celebrate recreational-sports activities for the whole neighbourhood.

Another of the strengths of Nou Barris is its large green spaces, in all the neighbourhoods there are parks adapted to its urbanism that invite you to meet, disconnect or play sports. Spaces as different as the Turó de la Peira that extends through the grounds of an old quarry and when you reach the top you can enjoy spectacular views over Collserola and the sea. On Avenida Meridiana, the Parc de Can Dragó was built, a large green boulevard that serves as a transition space between the road and the neighbourhood, with sports facilities such as the largest municipal swimming pool in Barcelona. Although the most outstanding in the district is the Nou Barris Central Park, of almost 17 hectares, it is a unique space in the old Mental Hospital of Santa Creu whose buildings have been converted into public facilities. Here you will find the district headquarters, the Aurora Díaz library or the Technology Park to promote business development.

Horta Guinardó is an oasis in Barcelona. In its neighbourhoods, low houses with gardens are still common, especially in La Clota. Its location on the slopes of Collserola allows you to enjoy the tranquillity and tranquillity of a small town. With large spaces for outdoor sports such as the Mühlberg bridge or the Carmel bunkers that also offer panoramic views of Barcelona. It also has large parks such as Guinardó or excellent sports facilities such as the Velodrom. Its neighbourhoods are predominantly residential, with a rich associative life and a wide range of local shops thanks to commercial entities with a lot of history. A district less known for tourism, despite having numerous attractions such as the modernist towers that we can find in Campoamor street and its excellent communication with the center of Barcelona.

Water is a constant that has defined the history of the district. Its location at the foot of the Collserola park and surrounded by three hills, Carmel, Coll and Rovira, supplied the area through rivers, wells, fountains and streams. Its water wealth led to agricultural exploitation and the construction of farmhouses since medieval times, some of which are still standing, such as Can Mariner, the current public library of Horta.

On the other hand, the abundance of water motivated the construction of public and domestic laundry facilities. With it came the business of washing clothes. Many women in the neighborhood became laundresses for the bourgeoisie and for the city's hospitals. Their memory is still present in popular memory and in Aiguafreda Street where some of the houses where they lived are preserved.

Its location far from the city centre also attracted the bourgeoisie who built its summer towers, as can still be seen by walking along Campoamor Street. Some of those that are preserved have been opened to the public, such as the Parc del Laberint d'Horta. The oldest garden in Barcelona with a labyrinth that emulates the myth of the Minotaur as the main attraction. Nearby, on the university campus of Mundet, is the Palau de les Heures, a French chateau whose romantic-style gardens are public.

Its rural past is still very present in La Clota, the smallest neighbourhood in Barcelona. Characterised by low houses and orchards, when you walk through its streets you can breathe a tranquillity that makes you forget that it is part of a big city. The old town of Horta also retains that village character. Plaça de Eivissa is the nerve centre, a meeting point for the neighbourhood surrounded by shops, restaurants and where you can enjoy the cultural activities that are organised.

In the district there is a strong sense of community that is evident in a large number of associations that promote artistic, cultural or commercial activities such as the Unió de Botiguers Cor d'Horta, one of the entities with the longest history in commercial associations in Barcelona. Their efforts make it possible to boost and promote local commerce, the main activity in an eminently residential district.

Horta - Guinardó is ideal for those who want to live in Barcelona, but away from the hustle and bustle of the city. With large parks to walk or enjoy nature or the city. The latest has been the construction of the Rieres d'Horta park on one of the main avenues of the neighbourhood, the Statute of Catalonia. A great green lung and an example of sustainability and self-sufficiency that values water and the neighbourhood. Differentiated areas have been set up for the enjoyment of all ages, as well as an area reserved for hosting large events.

Barcelona's smallest district has one of its most unique neighbourhoods. The Vila de Gràcia is popular for its local commerce and its centuries-old shops, its associations, its vibrant life in the bars and cafes of its squares and for its Festa Major that every year adorns the streets with spectacular creations. Although Gràcia are also large parks internationally recognized, such as Park Güell, where you can disconnect or enjoy the most privileged views of Barcelona. It is no wonder it was chosen among the coolest neighbourhoods to live in.

The Vila de Gràcia is the old core of the district that was an independent village until 1897 when it was annexed to Barcelona. From that past, apart from the place name, it retains its independent spirit and a personality of its own that is very recognizable to the visitor. The Avenida Diagonal separates the grid of the Eixample with the discontinuous urbanism of Gràcia. The neighbourhood was built by the owners of the land and stands out for its squares, the epicentre of the cultural and social life of the neighbourhood. One of the most popular is Plaça de la Vila, at the confluence of eight streets, where the Torre del Rellotge is located, one of its most iconic buildings built before the annexation to Barcelona.

Gràcia is an immensely popular neighbourhood, both for families and artists, due to its rich cultural offer and its associative life. Well-known are its many theatres with a long tradition such as the Teatreneu, a theatre café with more than 30 years or the Teatre Lliure which was born in this neighbourhood as a theatre cooperative in 1976. There is also one of the best-rated cinemas in Barcelona, the Verdi, inaugurated 40 years ago, which screens auteur films in their original version.

However, the most important event in the neighbourhood is its centenary Festa Major, which sums up the idiosyncrasy of the district. Every August 15th, residents come together in commissions to decorate streets and squares with different themes. Such is its popularity that every year it receives millions of visitors and was catalogued by the Generalitat de Catalunya as a Traditional Festival of National Interest.

Another of the most valued features of the district is its wide variety of businesses with a close and familiar relationship. Carrer Gran de Gràcia, a continuation of Passeig de Gràcia, stands as its main commercial axis. The new establishments focused on sustainable, innovative, independent, and artisanal products coexist with businesses with a long tradition, such as the herbalist Llobet, opened more than 150 years ago with a catalogue of more than four hundred types of herbs and spices, or Baró Joiers, with three generations dedicated to jewellery and watches.

To the north of the district, urban planning is characterised by wider streets and by its large parks where you can relax and enjoy spectacular views of Barcelona. Here you will find one of the most internationally famous; Gaudi’s Park Güell, which, despite being an unfinished work, attracts millions of people every year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Although it is not the only one, the Parc de la Creueta del Coll is less touristy, but it is a fantastic green space with a large central pond, presided over by the imposing work Elogi a l'aigua by Chillida, which in summer becomes a public swimming pool.

Sarrià - Sant Gervasi is one of the most exclusive districts and a green lung for Barcelona. Known as the upper area for its location on the slopes of Collserola Park and for having one of the highest per capita incomes in the city. Its neighbourhoods are residential, incredibly quiet, and ideal for families. It has the largest concentration of prestigious schools and health centres, as well as fantastic urban parks such as Turó Park or the Vil·la Amèlia gardens.

It is one of the largest districts because it is the union of several independent municipalities, a fact that is still evident in slight differences between its neighbourhoods. Sarrià, the last to be annexed, against his will, in 1921, is where it is most noticeable. Its neighbourhood has an intense sense of belonging and, when strolling through its streets, you have the feeling of being in a village with small urban oases such as Plaça de Sant Gaietà, known as the raconet.

The district grows around the Collserola forest park. It has always been highly sought after for its cleaner air and the tranquillity offered by the proximity to the mountains. Many religious orders settled here. For this reason, it has the highest concentration of educational centres, both private and subsidised, with international projection, such as the British School of Barcelona. Although the vast majority are religious schools designed by renowned architects such as the Jesus-Mary Sant Gervasi by Enric Sagnier or the Santa Teresa Ganduxer by Antoni Gaudí. Also noteworthy are the health centres, some as prestigious as the Teknon, a hospital located in Can Vilana, a neoclassical palace.

Another of the distinctive features of this district is its first-class local commerce. The purchasing power of its inhabitants is higher than the average in Barcelona, and it attracts businesses that offer high-quality products, boutique shops, gourmet shops and exclusive restaurants. Calle Mandri, in the Bonanova district, is a good example of these quality shopping hubs that can be found in the district.

The Catalan bourgeoisie also chose this place to build their summer houses and leisure complexes, some of which have since disappeared such as the Casino de la Rabassada and others still in operation such as the Tibidabo Amusement Park, the oldest in Spain. Many of the stately villas were demolished to build large blocks of flats, here the surface area is higher than the average for Barcelona. Others have been opened to the public with new uses such as the Tamarita gardens that now houses the Ramón Llull University, Can Castelló which has become a civic and geriatric centre or the Can Sentmenat garden that houses EINA, the University Centre for Design and Art of Barcelona.

Les Corts offers an excellent quality of life to its residents. It has a wide range of shops, both local businesses and important shopping centres, internationally renowned schools such as Thaus or St. Paul's School and the most valued health centres in the city such as the Dexeus clinic, many cultural activities such as the Foc i Rock in Sant Pere and large parks such as the Plaça del Sol de Baix or the Parc de Can Rigal. But the district is more than its residential area, it is also a benchmark for innovation and technology by hosting cutting-edge centres such as the MareNostrum computer centre or the Barcelona Science Park, a benchmark in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

The town of Les Corts was born in 1836 after becoming independent from Sarrià and was annexed to Barcelona in 1897. The new municipality grew around its squares; the Plaça Comas where the town hall was built and the Plaça de la Concòrdia where people met to solve conflicts, hence the name. Even today it is still a meeting point, surrounded by restaurants, local shops and the Can Deu civic centre, located in the modernist palace that was once owned by the Deus family, specialists in the distillation of alcohols.

With industrialization, factories began to be installed in the neighbourhood because there were large empty spaces and easy access to water. Some of those that are preserved have been converted into public spaces such as the Cristalleries Planell, one of the main manufacturers of artistic glass in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century and is today the headquarters of several municipal facilities. Another outstanding example is the Montserrat Abelló library and the Ateneu de Fabricació de les Corts that are located in what was the old Benet i Campabadal silk fabric factory.

Industry meant an increase in population and, with it, the need for new housing. Then industrial colonies appeared, such as the two-storey houses with modernist design and front garden in the English style that are still preserved in the Tubella passatge or the noucentista style of the Xile passatge. In Pedralbes the most unique complex is preserved, the Mercè neighbourhood, a social housing project from the Franco era, ground floors with a white façade that create the feeling of being in a Mediterranean village.

Pedralbes is the neighbourhood with the highest economic level and the least population density in Barcelona. It was born in the foothills of Collserola as a holiday resort for the Catalan bourgeoisie. The stately homes, spacious flats with well-kept communal areas and modernist villas still stand out. Pearson Avenue is one of the most emblematic streets that synthesizes the essence of this neighbourhood. There are also the best rated schools in the city and large parks such as the Cervantes rose garden.

Cultural and sporting is another feature that defines Les Corts. This district promotes the performing arts by offering many proposals for the whole family such as Circorts, a circus festival with more than 25 years of experience or les Nits de Barcelona, which organises, in the Gardens of the Pedralbes Palace, concerts by national and international artists. It is also home to three of the clubs with the most history and recognition: the Barcelona Football Club whose museum is one of the most visited in the city. The Real Club de Polo is a benchmark for equestrian racing and headquarters of the Barcelona International Jumping Competition and the Reial Club de Tennis Barcelona where the Conde de Godó tournament is held every year as part of the ATP 500 circuit.

Although Les Corts is not only a residential district, it is also an important business centre, since the 60s office buildings have been built in strategic locations. One of the pioneers was the Trade buildings on Gran Via de Carles III, an architectural complex inaugurated in 1968 that was inspired by the glass skyscrapers of Chicago and New York. Very close to there, on Diagonal Avenue, there are other examples that are already part of the architectural landscape of the city such as the Planeta building with a striking vertical garden that covers the entire façade or the La Caixa Towers, a set of three buildings, two of them are skyscrapers of black tinted glass. There is also La Illa Diagonal, the first large shopping centre in Barcelona made up of more than 170 shops and restaurants, office spaces, a 4* hotel and municipal facilities, inaugurated in 1993 and awarded a year later with the FAD for architecture. The building has a façade of 334 meters and its shape of a toppled skyscraper is inspired by the Rockefeller Center in New York.

Sants-Montjuic is the best-connected district in Catalonia. Its neighbourhoods are not very touristy, which has allowed it to preserve its neighbourhood spirit, its popular essence, and a wide range of local commerce. It has the longest shopping street in Europe, the Sants road, with four kilometres with more than three hundred shops on either side. Also, the liveliest and most cultural neighbourhood in Barcelona, Avinguda Paral·lel is home to the largest number of theatres and concert halls in the city. It is bounded by nature, on the one hand, the port and on the other the Montjuic mountain, which has marked the idiosyncrasy of its neighbourhood and the urban planning of its neighbourhoods. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was chosen among the 20 best neighbourhoods in the world to live in.

Its origins date back to a small rural town that was transformed by the demographic explosion caused by the installation of large industrial complexes. One of the first was the Güell steam factory, the Vapor Vell, which curiously was also where the first fiction film in Spain was shot and today houses the Vapor Vell public library. Shortly after, the España Industrial was inaugurated, which would become the most important cotton company in the state with modern facilities. When it closed it, the city council acquired the land where it built houses, a large park with a central lake guarded by a striking black steel dragon whose mouth is a slide, a large municipal sports centre and a children's centre.

The great manufacturing activity of the district favoured the appearance of many workers' groups. The three chimneys that are in the Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies on Paral·lel Avenue were part of the La Canadiense factory, the first to bring electricity on a large scale to Barcelona. In 1919 one of the most important strikes took place, one of the most outstanding achievements was the current regulation of the 8 working hours. Currently, Sants-Montjuic continues to be well known for its associationism, now linked to neighbourhood movements, with more than 300 organisations of all kinds. One of the most outstanding initiatives is the neighbourhood self-management of the Can Batlló factory in La Bordeta. Its warehouses have become spaces for the community where all kinds of social, cultural and entertainment workshops are organized.

The district is closely related to Montjuic, which has always been a place of leisure and great celebrations. It is ideal for excursions through its many parks and its many fountains, such as the well-known Font del Gat from the Catalan popular songbook. In 1929, the event that would mark the destiny of Montjuic: the Universal Exposition was held. Those pavilions are still outstanding spaces in Barcelona. Some are part of the Fira de Barcelona venue that hosts more than 150 events a year, others are home to museums such as the MNAC, others to theatres such as the Teatre Lliure and even the history of the Hotel Miramar Gran Lujo is related to this exhibition. In 1992 Montjuic hosted the other great celebration that would introduce Barcelona to the world: the Olympic Games. Its opening ceremony took place at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, a building that had also been inaugurated for the 1929 exhibition.

In Sants there are emblematic squares such as d'Osca, an idyllic place surrounded by trees, by bars with terraces to enjoy the weekend and without vehicles. However, unlike other neighbourhoods, the squares do not structure their social and commercial life but the roads that connect with other municipalities. Of note are those of Creu Coberta and Carrer de Sants, the main shopping streets that are now pedestrianised at weekends. Also, the Avenida Paral·lel, which crosses three districts and since the end of the twentieth century is the street of leisure and fun. Here you will find the main theatres such as the Victòria or the Condal or emblematic concert halls such as the Apollo or the Molino, inspired by the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Although the district is not only well connected by private vehicle, but also well connected by public transport. Sants station connects Barcelona nationally and internationally with bus and train. The route of the tracks crossed the interior of the neighbourhood, dividing the neighbourhood until 2016, when the first aerial promenade in the city, els Jardins de la Rambla de Sants, was built. A pleasant, landscaped promenade at 6-14 meters high designed with sustainable criteria that allowed the railway to be covered and reconnect the neighbourhood.

Sants - Montjuic is home to the most important industrial and logistics area of the city: the Zona Franca, in the port of Barcelona. More than 300 companies are located due to its strategic location near the airport, the port and a large freight railway station that connects it with the rest of the world. On its limits is the industrial area, La Marina del Prat Vermell, which is being renovated to turn it into a residential neighbourhood with new housing, municipal facilities, and large green spaces such as the Parc de las Tretze Roses with more than 2 hectares of gardens and differentiated areas for the whole neighbourhood.

You may fall in love with Eixample district for many reasons. Open and tolerant, it is internationally recognized for its architecture. The district is the result of the most splendid moments of the city, shaping contemporary Barcelona, a modern and cosmopolitan city. L'Eixample breaks with Barcelona's medieval past. Its ingenious urban planning demolishes the city walls and creates a feeling of comfort that invites you to stroll and discover the greatest exponents of Catalan modernism such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. Its wide range of cultural, commercial and restaurant options allow us to enjoy all its charm.

Ildefons Cerdà was the architect of the new Barcelona with a meticulous urban plan that consisted of a grid with streets parallel and perpendicular to the sea, where the buildings formed blocks around an interior courtyard through which all the homes receive sun, natural light and ventilation. The interior of each block had to be left free for gardens for healthiness. A requirement that was not always respected. His idea was to design a city for a more egalitarian society, putting human beings and their needs at the centre. Wider streets thinking about motorized traffic, tree planting and its most characteristic feature: chamfers. In the Eixample, the facades of the buildings located at street junctions are cut out at 45º angles, increasing the feeling of spaciousness. Residential buildings are characterised by having premises on the ground floor, a main floor where the largest house was distributed and upper floors with smaller homes. They have balconies overlooking the street, high ceilings, hydraulic floors and double orientation to facilitate the entry of light and ventilation.

The most privileged area of the Eixample is the Quadrat d'Or, bounded by Aribau Street and Passeig de Sant Joan, the Sant Pere, Sant Pau and Universitat ring roads and Diagonal Avenue. The Quadrat d'Or is considered an open-air museum with works by Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, among others. Its main axis and at the same time the most famous street in Barcelona is Passeig de Gràcia. Originally it was the road that linked Barcelona with the old municipality of Gràcia. It is now the city's grand boulevard, with beautiful buildings, lampposts, benches and its sidewalks. Gaudí designed the tile installed on all the sidewalks of Passeig de Gracia. It is a hexagonal tile with three different shapes inspired by three marine elements: a starfish, algae and a sea snail fossil; the complete drawing can only be seen with seven tiles.

Every year millions of people walk along Passeig de Gràcia to see the most spectacular modernist buildings such as the Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller, Casa Lleó Morera or La Pedrera. The most important luxury firms from all over the world covet to locate themselves in their commercial premises and in their buildings, we can find some of the best penthouses in the city.

Parallel to Passeig de Gracia, Rambla Catalunya circulates, another of the most beautiful streets in Barcelona where we can enjoy the terraces, shops and a beautiful promenade from where you can see the Tibidabo mountain.

For a few years now, the City Council has been recovering spaces for citizens. The district has 48 interior courtyards that allow you to have a green area less than 200 meters from the house. Small oases in the middle of the city, each with its own particularity, but all of them foster the relationship of the neighbourhood. Nowadays the Eixample continues to evolve. The bike lanes, the large squares and above all the creation of the green axis in Consell de Cent Street are examples of this. Streets are being pedestrianised, more trees have been planted and new rest areas have been installed, which become small climate shelters and promote meeting between citizens.

Ciutat Vella is the origin of Barcelona. Strolling through its cobbled streets, we discover the beginnings of this city. Here you will find the Rambla, the Boqueria, the Palau de la Música, the Cathedral, the Liceu, the Cathedral of the Sea... and other monuments that explain Barcelona's past. Its spaces to disconnect such as the Parc de la Ciutadella or 2,000 meters of beach, its wide range of culture, entertainment, restaurants, and all kinds of businesses, make it one of the most visited districts by tourists. The coexistence of more than 40 nationalities forms a fascinating melting pot of cultures.

2000 years ago, the Romans founded Barcino, the germ of today's Barcelona. The city grew walled, preserving one of the largest medieval neighbourhoods in Europe, the Gothic Quarter. The result was an urbanism of irregular streets delimited by wide avenues that delimit each neighbourhood, Via Laietana, La Rambla, Ronda Sant Antoni or Avenida Paral·lel.

Ciutat Vella is visited every year by millions of tourists from all over the world. Portaferrissa, Santa Anna, Comtal, dels Arcs or Canuda are some of the most sought-after streets to establish a business due to their large pedestrian influx. However, it stands out as one of the most important commercial hubs in Spain, the Portal de l'Àngel with the presence of leading national and international fashion firms.

La Rambla or Las Ramblas, because it is made up of 5 sections with different names, is the most famous promenade in Barcelona. In just over a kilometre, this boulevard joins Plaça Catalunya with the Columbus monument, in Port Vell. The Poliarama Theatre, the Hotel Le Méridien, the Palau de la Virreina, the Boqueria market, the Beethoven House, the Café de la Ópera, the Gran Teatro del Liceo or the Hotel Cuatro Naciones are the most popular establishments that can be found on either side of the promenade. Although there is a fountain, the Font de Canaletes, whose legend says that if you drink its water, you will return to the city because you will always be in love with Barcelona.

This district cannot be understood without its relationship with the sea either. Barcelona's maritime connection has been a constant that has defined its history. The first port was established in this district, the gateway for goods from all over the world that enriched the city and which, even today, has a strong impact on the city's economy. Currently this port, known as Port Vell, has been transformed into a recreational space with a large shopping centre, the Maremagnum, and several museums. From here “Las Golondrinas” also set sail, the most iconic boats that have been offering tours since 1888. It is always said that Barcelona discovered the sea with the 1992 Olympics, but on the beach of San Sebastian, in Barceloneta, they have been enjoying sea bathing for more than a century. In fact, the first swimming club was founded here in 1907, the Barcelona Swimming Club, which is still a benchmark for water sports today.

The Ciutat Vella district explains Barcelona's past, but its neighbourhoods live in the present looking to the future. Always in continuous improvement. Among the most outstanding actions are the redevelopment of its main streets such as Vía Laietana or La Rambla to make them more comfortable and pleasant walks for pedestrians. Emblematic places such as the Paseo de la Escullera, popularly known as the Breakwater, are also being recovered, which will allow you to have another place to enjoy the sea. All this to solve the current problems and to improve the coexistence between tourism and the neighbourhood.

The 22@ District, also known as 22@Barcelona or simply 22@, is a business area of about 200 hectares in the Sant Martí District. It emerged in 2000 as an initiative of the Barcelona City Council, to transform this industrial land in the Poblenou neighbourhood into a productive and innovative district with modern spaces for the strategic concentration of knowledge-intensive activities.

To achieve this objective, a new city model is created, where companies coexist with universities, research, training and technology transfer centres, as well as housing, facilities and green areas. In this way, a new economic model is defined based on the development of five sectoral clusters: audiovisual media, information and communication technologies, energy, design and biotechnology and on the execution of various strategic projects that facilitate the growth of companies, creativity, coworking developments, networking, the attraction and retention of talent and access to innovation and technology, among others.

Since 2001, more than 4,500 new companies have been located, totalling 56,000 employees in the area. The success of this model has led to the implementation of leading companies, as well as innovative urban development in the new certifications for sustainable construction and in the distribution of public and private spaces.

The expansion or second phase of this successful model is currently being developed, crossing Avenida Diagonal: El 22@ Norte. With more than 20 years of experience, social and neighbourhood involvement, private companies, universities and public administrations, this successful model has been rethought to continue developing it. The idea is to broaden the perspective of 22@ beyond Poblenou and even the district of Sant Martí, strengthening relations with new productive spaces in the city that will be developed in the coming years, such as the surroundings of La Sagrera and the Besos industrial estates.

Over the last 20 years, the knowledge economy sector promoted in 22@ has adapted to different economic, political and technological changes, and has generated a rich productive ecosystem that houses consolidated companies of all sizes and has been a fertile environment for startups of various types.

This project will promote innovative economic development, not only in the district of Sant Martí, but in the whole of Barcelona and its metropolitan area.

In addition to strengthening the original clusters of 22@ (Bio-Tech, Media, ICT, energy and design) in their new dimensions derived from the evolution of each sector, other sectors of the future have been identified, such as industry 4.0 or the creative industries, and cross-cutting sectors such as the green and circular economy or the social and solidarity economy.