A new type of drainage paving for the city will start being tested in the last quarter of the year. The surface is to be installed in the bike lane on side nearest the sea in C/ Jordi Girona, between C/ John Maynard Keynes and Pg. Til·lers, in a section 100 metres long and two metres wide.

The goal of the initiative is to study the behaviour of permeable paving, or linear Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), and assess their potential to help tackle urban drainage issues. The water-draining agglomerate may also be an additional element in building a resilient city, given the challenges posed by climate change.

The four-year analysis will help assess the drainage capacity of the new surface, as well as the quality of the filtered water obtained, plus the behaviour of the paving in response to vehicle usage and the temperature compared to traditional paving, to reduce the heat island effect.

Various preliminary studies show that this type of paving can potentially reduce surface run-off by between 44% and 92%. Its drainage properties can help reduce the risk of flooding during episodes of heavy rainfall, offering a good alternative to complement the function of water tanks in the city. At the same time, its characteristics also represent an improvement in road safety, facilitating circulation for cyclists and keeping surfaces dry.

Project Horizon MULTICLIMACT

The initiative falls within the European project MULTICLIMACT (“MULTI-faceted CLIMate adaptation ACTions”), the goal of which is to improve the resilience, preparation and response capacity of the built environment against multiple dangers on various levels. The project is being promoted by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Barcelona City Council is one of the 23 members of this project, which includes different organisations and private companies in Europe.