Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

Moving away from its former condition as a road and a barrier between the city and the river, the BV-5001 becomes a green promenade along the city’s river front. In the section where it crosses Llorenç Serra Boulevard and the bridge over the river, the underpass for road traffic is eliminated and the section is turned into a ha-ha, a landscaping strategy that allows views of the river above the protective wall required for large avenues.

In a second section, the relationship between the city and the river is improved by making the promenade more accessible and enhancing the views: the promenade is maintained along the built façade, the differences in height and the barrier formed by existing walls are removed, and the landscaping is reorganised. The line of false pepper trees between the road and the promenade is preserved, and trees along the pavement closest to the river are replaced, substituting the linear arrangement that created a visual barrier with intermittent groupings that improve the connection between the two spaces. Biodiversity and ecological connectivity are enhanced through the combination of different species of trees and shrubs: the false pepper trees recall the willows that give the promenade its name [salzereda means “willow grove”] and the poplars and plane trees consolidate the site’s character as a riverbank. Techniques to improve the urban greenery are implemented, and the landscaped surfaces serve as drainage and infiltration points to avoid overloading the storm sewers. Urban

With less space for vehicle traffic, circulation is treated as a necessary element of the city, and parking, loading and unloading, public transport and rubbish bins are all redistributed. On a level halfway between the road and the pavement closest to the river space, a twoway bike lane is added as part of the metropolitan cycling network that connects Santa Coloma with Montcada and Sant Adrià. Ultimately, Salzereda Avenue is a prime example of a design that works on two scales at once: it is both a local renovation and a metropolitan strategy project.