La Rambla will gain a 33% more space for pedestrians with the reorganization of the central section of the promenade

The City Council is working with Friends of La Rambla and the Restoration Guild on a reorganization of the terraces of La Rambla to improve the conditions of the space, coinciding with the third phase of the works

The project coincides with the start of the reform of the central area, in January 2026, which will temporarily suspend the licenses of the affected terraces

The future La Rambla aims to reinforce its identity and improve the quality of the commercial, cultural, and restoration offer as an emblematic street of the city

The terraces will return in new spaces, progressively and with a new image for the restoration of La Rambla, which will be worked on with the sector

The works, progressing according to the planned schedule, have already involved the removal of terraces from the side space of La Rambla in the stretch between Plaça de Catalunya and Bonsuccés

The urban intervention in La Rambla has also led to the removal of the old birdcage kiosks and the subsequent provisional relocation of the news kiosks and flower stalls

The Barcelona City Council is launching in 2026 a reorganization of the restoration terraces on La Rambla with the main objective of shaping the new promenade, with more space and priority for pedestrians, reinforcing the identity of La Rambla, and improving the quality of the commercial, cultural, and restoration offer on one of the city's most emblematic streets.

Friends of La Rambla has participated in this reorganization process to ensure a balance between the enjoyment of residents and visitors and the needs of terrace operators. We have also aimed to minimize the impact of the works in terms of time and inconvenience for both residents and businesses.

The action, framed within the urban redevelopment of the street and in compliance with current regulations, will result in the release of 1,436 square meters of the current configuration of the public space of La Rambla. This new configuration will increase pedestrian space by 33% in the central section of the promenade.

The final phase of the works begins, in the central section

The renovation works will start in 2026 with the largest intervention on the central section. According to the planned schedule, infrastructure, paving, lighting, and urban furniture works will begin in January along different stages from Liceu to Pla de l'Os and up to Carrer Nou de la Rambla.

Since November, the renovation has already entered the central section between Plaça de Catalunya and Carrer de Santa Anna and Bonsuccés, which has involved the removal of terraces from three restaurant premises in this area and the upcoming provisional relocation of three news kiosks.

With the expansion of the work execution area and the arrival to the core of the central section, starting in January 2026, the City Council will address the reconfiguration of the occupancy of public space with new territorial planning criteria, aimed at increasing space for promenades and improving the commercial and restoration offer primarily. It is within this context that the upcoming provisional relocation of news kiosks and flower stalls will take place due to the works.

A more organized La Rambla with more space for pedestrians

The reorganization aims to shape a more organized, diversified La Rambla with more passage space once the works are completed. It is framed within compliance with the current regulations, which set the criteria inside La Rambla for occupations with urban elements, such as terraces.

Therefore, efforts are being made to enhance and preserve the characteristic features - as a historical emblem, social, economic, and cultural aspects - that make up La Rambla as an intangible heritage ensemble of the city of Barcelona. With this spirit, a transformation in the appearance of this street was initiated to establish it as a reference axis for the residents of Barcelona, beyond occasional visitors to the city.

It is within the framework of this La Rambla remodeling process, as a comprehensive urban action, both physical and social, cultural, and economic, where a recovery of the central promenade space on La Rambla, from Liceu to Columbus statue, is proposed with the main objectives of: prioritizing pedestrians, reinforcing the new identity of La Rambla, and increasing the quality in the most emblematic street of the city.

To achieve this, it is determined that the terraces must respect distances and separations that guarantee the comfort and safety of citizens, keeping free the passage elements, metro exits, monuments, planters, benches, and signaling points, lighting, and ramps. The aim is to preserve an accessible and organized public space, prioritizing coexistence and citizen use of La Rambla.

The restructuring also opens the door to updating the image of the terraces to impact the overall quality of the new La Rambla, and for this, the definition of the elements that shape them will be shared with the sector.

Currently, La Rambla has 62 bar and/or restaurant premises, representing 30% of the active commercial premises on the street; half of these currently have terrace licenses, and until now could occupy spaces on both sides of the central section with different terrace license authorizations. With the new arrangement, the offer will have to be located exclusively in the central section.

As a general criterion, the terraces will be located in a way that ensures ample free space for passage, which with the reform means going from the current 2.40 meters in the most congested sections to between 8.50 and 9.60 meters in width, depending on the section. This means that the pedestrian space will be approximately three times larger, an improvement that aims to prioritize the comfort, safety, and accessibility for citizens.

La Rambla: comprehensive, coordinated, and shared action

The reorganization of La Rambla began with urban renewal works in June 2024, an action with a planned duration of 34 months and an investment of 55.6 million euros, complemented by measures for collaboration with residents, entities, and strengthened coordination and information. Among them, the La Rambla Coordination Office has been created, and the Rambla Space, an information and communication hub aimed at residents, entities, merchants, cultural actors, and economic agents of the promenade.

In this context, the new Land Use Plan for Ciutat Vella has also been initially approved, regulating the implementation of new activities in the district and shaping La Rambla as a distinctive hub of activity. It is also foreseen the specific creation of an Economic Promotion Office for La Rambla, to work jointly with the private sector to enhance the commercial offer of this promenade.

In the context of elements on La Rambla itself, the 11 birdcage stalls and the seven florist stalls no longer in use have been removed, and work has been done with the group of florists to temporarily move the activity to Plaça de Catalunya for a few months, to return after the works to new locations and renovated stalls. Efforts have also been made to reduce traffic and reorganize parking space for motorcycles, loading and unloading, and parking reservations.