With the arrival of summer, Barcelona’s Via Laietana stands under an unrelenting sun, revealing the recent transformation of one of the city’s busiest arteries. This remodeling, which sought to restore its splendor and functionality, has left many neighbors and visitors with a nagging question: Where are the trees that promised a cooler and more pleasant walk?
Recently, Via Laietana has undergone a major transformation that promised to make it a more humane and friendly space. However, after the inauguration of the new section, a key question arises: why are there no trees? According to the Barcelona City Council, the Line 4 metro tunnel and shallow service galleries make it difficult to plant trees in this area.
Despite improvements in sidewalks, bike lanes and public transportation, the lack of shade has generated debate among Barcelona residents.
The transformation of Via Laietana
After three years of work and an investment of more than 38 million euros, Via Laietana has been renovated with wider sidewalks, a segregated bike lane and an exclusive lane for buses and cabs.
In addition, the number of cars has been reduced, seeking to promote sustainable mobility and local commerce. The reform has also redeveloped squares such as Plaça del Àngel and the Correos-Idrissa Diallo complex, providing them with more pedestrian areas.
Despite these achievements, the absence of trees remains a hot topic. The official explanation points to subway infrastructure as the main obstacle to planting street trees.
This detail has been crucial at a time when climate change and high temperatures make shade more necessary than ever.
You may be interested to know that, in the coming months, work is expected to continue on the streets of Fusteries and Àngel Baixeres. It is also planned to pave the intersection with the Colom and Isabel II avenues by the end of July. The remaining trees will be planted in autumn, when the weather is more suitable for this purpose.