Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I'm not sure that the super blocks are that great. From my experience they basically turned the shops, residential, and commercial into cookie cutter outlets from the block. You didn't get the unique architecture that you see in other cities, everything HAS to fit in that block.

Additionally it felt like they were often far away from public transit that you needed. (The train stop may be 3 blocks away or better)




It sounds like you're not talking about superblocks, you're just talking about the existing blocks of Eixample.

The superblocks concept is that they'd be grouped together into 3x3 grids, by changing traffic rules and building urban furniture to block off streets, creating new squares and one-way systems. The goal being that everything would be far more walkable and you'd see far more local community - i.e. less of the cookie cutter shops you describe.


I was at c pallars and d alaba.


At least in Barcelona, the blocks are already there and have been since the end of the 19th century - they are just grouping the blocks into superblocks where through traffic is only allowed on (on average) every third street and the rest are car free (I imagine residents can still use them).


That issue seems orthogonal to creating superblocks.

Superblocks just means that within a grid of NxN regular blocks, you limit car traffic and instead prioritize walking and biking. It's true that the blocks of Barcelona tend to be same-y looking, but that issue predates superblocks.


Yeah, it may be a better idea to instead go for something between this and soviet style microdistricts. Slightly larger areas that don't have to be copy-paste fixed size units, roughly a 5 min walk across. Each having its own bus stop and a node of other utilities.




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: