Barcelona has a special knack for turning industrial skeletons into places where, at last, you feel like taking a stroll. We saw it with Can Batlló, and now it’s the turn of the famous Illa Citroën, that motor stronghold between the Bordeta and Sants-Badal neighborhoods, whose days as a dealership are numbered, to be reborn as a neighborhood oasis. The City Council has already given the initial green light to a renovation that promises to change the face of the area with a 22,000-square-meter urban park and, most importantly in these times, housing that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
The operation is no small feat. We are talking about a total area of 35,000 square meters bounded by Rambla de Badal, Riera Blanca, and Carrer Constitució. The plan is to demolish the old Stellantis facilities to open up the neighborhood and connect areas that until now were separated by a concrete wall and cars on display. According to the project details, 104 public rental apartments will be built on Rambla de Badal, to which another 110 privately developed homes will be added, balancing the residential scale of a district that is crying out for air.
A privately funded park and more space for schools
The curious thing about this renovation, which follows in the wake of other major transformations in the city, is that the maintenance and construction of the large central park will be paid for by the private developer of the homes. This new green space will not only serve as a place for the residents of Sants to stretch their legs, but will also act as a green bridge that will make it easier to walk to L’Hospitalet, eliminating the feeling of an urban “border” that often exists in Riera Blanca.
But it’s not just about trees and benches. The social fabric of the neighborhood also stands to gain from the reservation of land for public facilities. Among the developments most celebrated by neighborhood associations is the expansion of the Cavall Bernat school, which will gain space for its facilities, and the creation of three new public spaces behind the buildings on Constitució Street. It is, in essence, giving back to citizens a space that for decades was closed for industrial use.
The transformation schedule
If you are one of those who are already looking for running shoes to break in the park, you will have to be patient, although the process is now unstoppable. The Generalitat is expected to give final approval to the General Metropolitan Plan during the second half of 2026. From then on, the clock will start ticking: the developer will have four years to construct the buildings and develop this giant garden, which promises to become the district’s new meeting point.
This project is part of the “playable and green cities” strategy that Barcelona has been trying to implement in its most densely populated areas for years. Ultimately, the transformation of the Illa Citroën is the perfect example of how the city is maturing: where there used to be the noise of engines and the smell of oil, there will soon be children’s playgrounds, neighbors enjoying their new balconies, and lots of green space.