Electoral Consequences of Urban Interventions: The Case of Superblocks, School Streets, and Bike Lanes in Barcelona
A new study led by Marta-Beatriz Fernández Núñez, researcher at GEMOTT – Grup d’Estudis en Mobilitat, Transport i Territori, and published in Cities, examines whether Barcelona’s emblematic urban interventions — Superblocks, School Streets, and Bike Lanes — translated into electoral support for the municipal government that promoted them.
This publication marks the first article of her PhD dissertation, which investigates the political and spatial impacts of urban mobility policies in contemporary cities.
The content
Between 2015 and 2023, Barcelona implemented some of Europe’s most recognizable sustainable urban mobility strategies. While these policies have attracted international attention, their local political consequences had not been systematically studied until now.
The study
Using detailed spatial data from the 2015, 2019, and 2023 municipal elections, Fernández Núñez and co-authors (Jaime Orrego Oñate , Margarita Triguero-Mas , and Oriol Marquet ) analyzed whether residents living near these interventions were more likely to vote for Barcelona en Comú , the party responsible for implementing them.
Key findings
Superblocks were associated with a measurable increase in vote share for BComú in the 2019–2023 term, especially in areas within 400 to 600 meters of an intervention.
School Streets and Bike Lanes showed no significant electoral gains or losses, suggesting more neutral or diffuse effects.
The strongest effects were observed in more educated neighborhoods, where environmental awareness may play a key role in shaping political preferences.
Why it matters
The findings contribute to broader debates on the political feasibility of climate-conscious urban planning. They suggest that well-targeted, place-based interventions may not only improve quality of life — they can also build electoral support.
