Editing Barcelona (section)

=== Transforming the city ===
In the mid-1850s, Barcelona was struggling with population density as it became an industrial, [[port city]] and European capital. The city's density was at 856 people per hectare, more than double that of Paris. Mortality rates were on the rise and any outbreaks of disease would devastate the population. To solve the issue, a civil engineer named [[Ildefons Cerdà]] proposed a plan for a new district known as the [[Eixample]]. The citizens of Barcelona had begun to demolish the medieval wall surrounding and constricting the city. Cerdà thought it best to transform the land outside the walls into an area characterized by a scientific approach to [[urbanization]]. His proposal consisted of a grid of streets to unite the old city and surrounding villages. There would also be wide streets to allow people to breathe clean air, gardens in the centre of each [[street block]], integration of rich and poor giving both groups access to the same services, and smooth-flowing traffic. Urban quality, egalitarianism, hygiene, sunlight, and efficiency were all major keys for Cerdà's vision. Not everything he imagined would be realized within the Eixample district, but the iconic octagonal superblocks with chamfered corners for better visibility are his direct brainchild and remain immensely helpful even 170 years later. The district and its ideals were not appreciated at the time. The city council awarded the design of the extension plan to another architect. The Spanish government was the one to step in and impose Cerdà's plan, laying the groundwork for many more tensions between the Spanish and Catalan administrations. Regardless, some of the upper class citizens of Barcelona were excited by the new plan and began a race to build "the biggest, tallest, most attractive house" in the district. Their interest and money fueled the rich diversity that we now see in the district's architecture. In the end, Cerdà's ideas would have a lasting impact on Barcelona's development, earning it international recognition for its highly efficient approach to urban planning and design.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bausells |first=Marta |date=2016-04-01 |title=Story of cities #13: Barcelona's unloved planner invents science of 'urbanisation' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/01/story-cities-13-eixample-barcelona-ildefons-cerda-planner-urbanisation |access-date=2023-12-01 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=David |date=2019-04-08 |title=Barcelona's remarkable history of rebirth and transformation |url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204215206/https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |url-status=live }}</ref>