URBAN PLANNING AND WELL-

BEING. THE CASE OF

BARCELONA
Montserrat Pallares-Barbera, Jordi Duch, Anna Badia

ABCD Series, January 18, 2012

Room S050 of the CGIS South Building at 1730 Cambridge St at 12

noon

Harvard University Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences Center for

Geographic Analysis
 structure of the talk
• Problem and motivations of the problem
• Objectives and structural question
• Case study
• Methodology
• Results
• Concluding unanswered questions

Geography Dept. Universitat Center for Geographic Analysis. 2

Autònoma de Barcelona IQSS. Harvard University
 Wellbeing and urban planning
• Increasing urban services
• Past and present
• Cities
• Agglomeration
• Shocks
• Background
 Determinants of the cities in the nineteenth to beginning twentieth centuries

Density, malnutrition, agglomeration, overworking, infected water, illiteracy Causes

Mortality, ignorance, illness, unhappiness, uncultured, unsociability Consequences

Shocks to the system:

Cities experienced a high incoming population during the industrial revolution

Population density increased in all of them

Mortality increased and life span decreased

 OBJECTIVES AND Structural question
. How urban planning and, in particular, the location of urban services,
affects wellbeing
. Data from the Plan of Expansion of Barcelona of 1860, proposed by Ildefons
Cerdà is used for various analysis and simulations

Why
-We want to answer the question of ‘who gets welfare and where do they get it’
-We want to get further elements to incorporate in future planning practices

How
-To study Cerdà’s proposal using current methodology from location theory, such
as location-allocation models and ArcGis 10 Network Analyst for analysis

Working hypotheses
- Cerdà’s proposal for the expansion of Barcelona had the aim to improve the
population living standards
- He used urbanism as a redistribution tool
-He included services to population as a necessary condition to get his objectives
5
of improving social well being
 Population and population density in cities, per Sq Km

* 26978

*11,535

* 32465

*4,266 *4,923

*23,552-1,378 *20,240
*
15,926
*1,105
*30,529 *13,365

85,600 * 6,515 * 897

* 1071

Sources: Barcelona Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (Idescat) and Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics;
Boston http://www.bpl.org/research/govdocs/boststats.htm;
Chicago http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ahaa/imagebase/chimaps/mcclendon.html; London http://www.demographia.com/dm-lon31.htm;
New York http://www.demographia.com/dm-nyc.htm; Paris ;
Philadelphia http://physics.bu.edu/~redner/projects/population/cities/philadelphia.html.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/census/1910_pop_density.pdf
Creator: Tenement Inspector
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37341)
http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10727.html
Source: Newberry Library
http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3608.html
 Creator: U.S. Public Health Service
Source: Newberry Library

http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3892.html
 Barcelona. Mortality in the first floor level
1846-1865

Average life expectancy between richer and poorer classes was 38.83 and 19.68
years of age, respectively (men, average between years 1837 and 1847; Cerdà, 1867)
Source. Canedo Arnedo, M. Geohistòria ambiental de la Barcelona del segle XIX.
Master Research Project. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Geography Department, 2010.
(1) García Fària, 1894, p. 26-27.
 Words of Cerdà’s
• Cerdà attributed the causes of mortality and poor urban
condition to greed and ignorance: “The errors in the lack
of hygienic means in founding a city are a consequence
of ignorance and greed and prevent the development of
robust, wise and industrious generations. These errors
increase mortality, decrease the average life expectancy,
and mostly contribute to epidemic attacks every twenty
years” (Cerdà, 1860: 55).

• Under these beliefs, his plan had to be built using new

standards of the (new) culture of the (new) century: “[t]o
attain the good conditions that the culture of our time
demands for the entire population” (Cerdà, 1860: 56).
Creator: I. T. Palmatary and Christian Inger
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-05656)
http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10603.html
 NYC-GRID-1811

Commissioner's Grid plan for Manhattan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC-GRID-1811.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioners%27_Plan_of_1811
 Edward Stanford
The School-Board Map of London, c. 1872
Scale 6 inches to one mile.

http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/stanfordpages/cityMAIN.html
 Streets of the New Barcelona

Area:  1,975 Ha Streets of the Old Barcelona

Area:  193,97 Ha

Street type/ wide Longitude (km) Street type/ wide Number of 

streets
20 m 237,7
30 m 77,5 <3 m 200
50 m 183
Streets with train  117,4 3-6 m 400
Streets Outside  118,8
Enlargement
Perimeter 228,3
 Planning equipments
Number Number of blocks
Type of services Occupancy

Parks 8 38

Markets 10 10

Hospitals 3 Outside the city

Schools 33 33

Government Institutions 12 25

Service provision in the Old Barcelona

- 10 midwifes and 69 surgeon doctors (Cerdà, 1867)
- 3 markets, 2 of them fisheries (Pescadería del Mercado del Borne, 425 m2,
and Pescadería del Mercado de Isabel II, 900 m2), and 1 of them of
general groceries (Mercado de la Plaza de Isabel II, 3,525 m2;
Service location made by Cerdà
Methodology
Types of housing projected
Housing category and population density per category Cerdà’s Barcelona
Table 2. Housing category and number of floors projected, area and inhabitants
Housing category Floor number Number of people Area sq meters sq meters/Inhab Lenghtxdepth
living in each floor

Housing for the wealthy

Projects A-F PB (Ground) 0 225-400 20x20
1rs & 2nd floor 9 to 13 225-400
Mean 16 787 48.92

Housing for the midle class

Project G PB (Ground) 2 shops 400
1rst 22 400
2nd 12 400
Mean 34 1200 35.29 15x15

Housing for the working class

Project A-H PB (Ground) 1 shop 69-103
1rs 4 to 10 69-136.5
2nd 4 to 5 69-136.5
3rd 4 to 5 69-136.5
Mean 4 to 5 69 to >103 23.62 10.15x10.15

Source. Cerdà p. 75, (MAP. Aj. Barcelona 1991). [Table] "97a. Clasificacióbn de las casas, número
de personas que pueden albergarse en ellas, superficie que ocuparán, precio e
importe de la construcción, importe tottal y renta que producirán"
T a b l e 2 B a r c e l o n a P o p u l a ti o n C e n s u s 1 8 5 5 . P o p u la t io n b y e m p lo y e m e n t
(" C la s if ic a c ió n d e lo s h a b it a n t e s p o r
p ro f e s i o n e s , o fi c i o s , o c u p a c i o n e s r e f e r i d o a 1 0 0
in d iv i d u o s d e l t o t a l d e p o b l a c ió n ( … ) )

Employment

A plicada al proyec to de reform a y ensanche de B arcelona.

y Barcelona (1991). M inisterio para las Adm inistraciones

Categories Profesiones % Number

In Teoría de la construcción de las ciudades. Cerdà

Clergies Eclesiásticos de todas clases 0,678 1141

S ource: Cerdà, I. (1859 p. 185). Teoría de la cons trucción de las ciudades.

Employed workers Empleados activos 1,526 2568

Unemployed
workers Empleados cesantes 0,228 384

P úblic as. A juntam ent de Barcelona.

Army Militares activos 9,623 16197

Retired army Militares retirados 0,405 682

Land owners Propietarios 2,65 4460

Farmers Labradores 0,29 488

Merchants Comerciantes 1,126 1895

Manufacturers Fabricantes 0,93 1565

Industrials Industriales 7,301 12289

Owners Propietarios de todas clases 1,513 2547

Day laborers Jornaleros 44,956 75667

Poor Pobres de solemnidad 0,435 732

Non-paying taxes No contribuyentes 26,677 44901

TOTAL 98,338 165517

Error 1,662 2797
TOTAL 100,00 168314
 Table 5. Assigning population groups to housing types

% InhabitantsHousing categories Inhabitants/House Sq m/house Sq m/Person

1 High income class Land owners 2,65 4460 1 13 800 61,54
2 High income class Merchants 1,13 1895 2 22 1200 54,55
3 High income class Manufacturers 0,93 1565 3 12 640 53,33
4 High income class Industrials 7,30 12289 4 21 960 45,71
5 High income class Owners 1,51 2547 5 11 450 40,91
6 18 675 37,5
TOTAL 13,52 Mean Hous High Class 16,17 787,5 48,92
6 Middle income class Clergies 0,68 1141 7 34 1200 35,29
7 Middle income class Employed workers 1,53 2568 7 34 1200 35,29
8 Middle income class Army 9,62 16197 7 34 1200 35,29
9 Middle income class Retired army 0,41 682 7 34 1200 35,29
TOTAL 12,23 Mean Hous Med Class 34 1200 35,29
10 Low Income class Farmers 0,29 488 8 15 309 20,6
11 Low Income class Unemployed workers 0,23 384 9 20 412 20,6
12 Low Income class Day laborers 44,96 75667 10 12 207 17,25
13 Low Income class Poor 0,44 732 11 16 276 17,25
14 Low Income class Non-paying taxes 26,68 44901 12 12 270 22,5
13 16 360 22,5
14 12 409,5 34,13
15 16 546 34,13
Error 1,66 2797
TOTAL 72,59 Mean Hous Low Class 14,88 348,69 23,62

TOTAL 100,00 168314

 Table 6. Population per block type
Block type Sq m Housing Scenario_ Sq m/Categ Inhabitants
1 2180,2 13,52 294,76304 6 Scenario_1: 13.52% of houses to High Income
12,23 266,63846 8 Class; 12.23% of housing to Middle
74,25 1618,7985 69
TOTAL 100,00 2180,2 82 Class; 74.25% of housing per
2 5000 13,52 676 14 Low Income class.
12,23 611,5 17
74,25 3712,5 157
TOTAL 100,00 5000 188 Block Building Location Block % of
3 1608,4 13,52 217,45568 4 Typology form area m2 built
occupa
12,23 196,70732 6
ncy
74,25 1194,237 51
TOTAL 100,00 1608,4 61 One side Outside of 10,901 20.00
4 4450 13,52 601,64 12 built Expansion
12,23 544,235 15
74,25 3304,125 140
TOTAL 100,00 4450 168 Blocks with two sides built (the most common type found
5 5250 13,52 709,8 15 in the Expansion)
12,23 642,075 18 Two 12,500 40.00
74,25 3898,125 165 sides
TOTAL 100,00 5250 198
built
6 4116 13,52 556,4832 11
12,23 503,3868 14 Block 4,021 50.00
74,25 3056,13 129 with alley
TOTAL 100,00 4116 155
7 9700 13,52 1311,44 27 Intersecti 12,500 35.60
12,23 1186,31 34 on of
74,25 7202,25 305 buildings
TOTAL 100,00 9700 365
8 9636,87 13,52 1302,904824 27
12,23 1178,589201 33 (…)
(…)
 The optimization model (1)
• Location-Allocation

Minimize impedance. Minimize weighted

impedance (P-Median). It chooses facilities such
as the total sum of weighted impedances
(demand allocated to a facility multiplied by the
impedance to the facility) is minimized.

• ArcMap_10 Network Analyst

The optimization model (2)
General model:

Given

Choose

Where

In order to minimize Z equal to

Subject to

• Where,
• ai = quantity of population in node i,
• i = origin of population,
• j = possible service location,
• p = number of services,
• dij = the shortest distance between node i and node j,
• xij = 1 if population of node i is assigned to j, 0 otherwise,
• xjj = 1 if a service is located in node j, 0 otherwise. 25
 Public versus private goods
• The use of a service do not affect
provision of this to other people
• Public good is not subject to congestion
• Allocation of people to schools, for
instance, do not decrease the utility for
other people.
• Choosing a service depends on
individual’s distance to a service
26
School service areas
 •Table 4. Population within each school time interval

Interval time in minutes Population % Cummulative

< 5 41,297 27 27
5 ‐ 10 75,259 49 76
10,1 ‐ 15 27,263 18 94
> 15 8,656 6 100

Total 152,475 100

School location-allocation general model; Impedance cutoff 5 minutes
Park service areas, 5, 10 and 20 minutes
 Population and parks

Population served by parks
Interval in time minutes Population % Cumulative %
< 5 42,588 28 28
5 ‐ 10 60,116 39 67
10,1 ‐ 20 47,888 32 99
>20 1,883 1 100

total 152,475 100

Park Location-allocation general model; Impedance cutoff 20 minutes
Market service areas
 •Table 2: Population within each market time-interval

Population % Cumulative %
Interval time in minutes

1–5 13.0 13.0

19,444

6–11 54,268 36.0 49.0

12–24 70,691 46.0 95.0

>24 8,072 5.0 100.0

Total 152,475 100.0

Market location-allocation general model; 20 minutes
Cerdà hospitals allocation of demand within 30 minutes distance
Cerdà hospital service areas 10, 20, 30, and >30 minutes
Demand uncovered by the hospitals
 Table 1: Population within each hospital service area

Population % Cumulative %
Interval time in minutes

1–9 16,251 11.0 11.0

10–19 52,500 34.0 45.0

20–30 50,500 33.0 78.0

>30 33,224 22.0 100.0

Total 152,475 100.0

Annoyance Negative Externalities
Future research: Solar radiation
and Air flow
• Solar radiation, grid positioning, health
• Air flow analysis and ventilation, health
• Energy efficiency
• Taking into account capacity of services
– Introducing different population densities
• Introducing variability of services
• Considering different levels of income
– Transferable utility
– Spatial justice
 - One of the Cerdà’s objectives was to positioning the grid in order to get
maximum sunshine and natural ventilation for housing

-More sustainable cities

-Old technique of house ventilation and natural air recycling and cooling
inside the house

- He considered the streets as “aerial channels”, which had the function for the
city what lungs do for humans: “Por lo que toca a salubridad, siguiendo en esta
parte a los highienistas, podemos considerar las calles como canales aereos (…)
que vienen a ser para las ciudades como lo que para el cuerpo humano son los
pulmones.” Cerdà, 185, p. 376 (1991)

Source: Cerdà, 1855 p. 374 (1991).

Figure 14. Cerdà’s discussion about sunlight’s good influence for human health

Examples of St. Petersburg and Paris: mortality rates and quantity of sunlight

Source: Cerdà, 1855 p. 375 (1991).

Fig 2. Summer solstice, June 21rst. Passeig de Gràcia section current
geographic coordinates
 THE END

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

MONTSERRAT PALLARES-BARBERA
Table 3. Categories of population by income: high income class, medium income and lower income

Income class Profession % Number

1 High income class Land owners 2,65 4460

2 High income class Merchants 1,13 1895

3 High income class Manufacturers 0,93 1565

4 High income class Industrials 7,30 12289

5 High income class Owners 1,51 2547

6 Middle income class Clergies 0,68 1141

7 Middle income class Employed workers 1,53 2568

8 Middle income class Army 9,62 16197

9 Middle income class Retired army 0,41 682

10 Low Income class Farmers 0,29 488

Unemployed
11 workers 0,23 384

12 Low Income class Day laborers 44,96 75667

13 Low Income class Poor 0,44 732

14 Low Income class Non-paying taxes 26,68 44901

Error 1,66 2797
TOTAL 168314,00 0
 Questions about spatial justice
• Is this situation always possible?
• Could we have transferability without any
strategic policy to guide where and who gets
wellbeing?
• How does livability can be increased in cities?
• Can urban policies be transformed and adjusted
to fulfill population needs?
• Might mechanisms to distribute resources in
space help to achieve a more even spatial
justice?
 The Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük (Anatolia, Turkey)

http://www.catalhoyuk.com/history.html
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/04/18/mn_catalhoyukgrf.jpg
 Çatalhöyük (Anatolia, Turkey)

http://www.felsefeekibi.com/dergi7/grafik/catalhoyuk.JPG
 Network Analyst Location-Allocation Models

• . Minimize impedance. Minimize weighted impedance (P-Median). The option solves the
warehouse location problem. It chooses facilities such as the total sum of weighted impedances
(demand allocated to a facility multiplied by the impedance to the facility) is minimized.
• Maximize Coverage
• . This option solves the fire station location problem. It chooses facilities such that all or the
greatest amount of demands is within a specified impedance cutoff.
• Maximize coverage/Minimize facilities
• . This option solves the fi station location problem. It chooses the ,minimum number of facilities
needed to cover all or the greatest around of demand within a specified impedance cutoff.
• Maximize attendance
• . This option solves the neighborhood store location problem where the proportion of demand
allocated to the nearest chosen facility falls with increasing distance. The set of facilities that
maximize the total allocated demand is chosen. Demand further than the specified impedance
cutoff does not affect the chosen set of facilities.
• Maximize market share
• . This option solves the competitive facility location problem. It chooses facilities to maximize
market share in the presence of competitive facilities. Gravity model concepts are used to
determine the proportion of demand allocated to each facility. The set of facilities that
maximizes the total allocated demand is chosen.
• Target market share
• . This option solves the competitive facility location problem. It chooses facilities to reach a
specified target market share in the presence of competitive facilities. Gravity model concepts
are used to determine the proportion of demand allocated to each facility. The minimum number
of facilities needed to reach the specified target market share is chosen.
Parks, interval time in minutes
ArcGIS_10 ArcScene
Winter solstice
Summer solstice