Integrating Climate, Urban, and Social Policies Is Key to Avoid Increasing Inequalities in Barcelona

Dialogues between scientific experts, public administrations, and citizens to adapt Barcelona to climate change without worsening social inequalities.

Imagine a room filled with doctors, psychologists, and epidemiologists, architects, economists, management and communication experts, along with citizens from Barcelona and municipal technical staff. Inside, a meaningful and complex conversation is unfolding about how to adapt to climate change.

The nature of climate change makes it a "wicked problem", as Reiner Grundmann and other experts have defined it. This means that solutions are difficult to achieve and sometimes contradictory due to interdependencies between the climate and society, as we know it. Added to this complexity is a global political context that is unfavorable for climate action and multilateralism, characterized by rising conflicts and a renewed interest in oil and mineral extraction.

To address these challenges, during the second half of 2025, 80 people met in eight thematic workshops at the Palau Macaya in Barcelona. The project Voices for Health: narratives and action against climate change from “La Caixa” Foundation with the scientific direction of ISGlobal, promoted spaces for reflection and dialogue on political, urban, social, and public health solutions to climate change.

First session: extreme heat and urban health

On June 25th, during the first heatwave of the year, the workshop on the impact of extreme temperatures on health was held. Extreme heat poses a significant health risk, as reflected in the increase in heat-related mortality in recent years. The most at-risk groups include older adults, children, people with comorbidities, and those highly exposed to heat due to inadequate housing or work conditions. Days later, we received the tragic news of the death of Montse, a municipal cleaning worker in Barcelona, after her work shift. This was the first of several news stories we would receive throughout the summer about outdoor workers dying due to the combination of structural vulnerabilities and extreme temperatures.

In response, during the workshop several priority areas were identified. One is the update of emergency protocols for heatwaves, which determine exceptional measures, such as canceling work shifts. Another is improving risk communication to citizens, using alerts and accompanied by culturally adapted health recommendations. These actions form part of the emergency response—how we act and the resources we need to face a heatwave.

The city that harms or protects us

But we didn’t stop at response; we also discussed prevention and how our environment, Barcelona’s urban design, can make us sick. The urban heat island effect can raise temperatures by up to 2.5 ºC above average in some city areas. We noted how nature is a powerful ally for climate regulation, air quality improvement, and mental health. Along with reducing motorized transport and increasing active transportation, these measures are part of a healthier urban model. Superblocks and green corridors are examples of this, although as pilot projects they have clear limitations in terms of scale and impact. The restoration and renaturalization of green and blue spaces, such as the Besòs River Park or the Catharijnesingel canal in Utrecht, also served as inspiration.

Besòs River Park. Photo: Vicente Zambrano González / Barcelona City Council.

The role of citizens in decision-making and city design is increasingly relevant. In another workshop, we reflected on the accessibility, use, and perception of Montjuïc, one of Barcelona’s largest green spaces. The potential of Montjuïc as a provider of ecosystem and health services is huge, but in practice, tourism pressure, low connectivity, and landscaping limits its benefits. Redesigning public spaces and parks with citizen participation and through a lens of equity brings us closer to a healthy urban model, provided citizen participation is meaningful.

Common challenges for climate action

Amid whiteboards, post-its, and papers, many solutions were shared along with scientific evidence of health benefits, and consensus on the political urgency was palpable. Still, we identified common obstacles hindering urban and health action.

Fragmented governance. Delays in approving general government budgets and a lack of continuity in urban and environmental policies after government changes hinder implementation and effectiveness. Lack of resources and coordination across departments and government levels is a major obstacle in preparing for and responding to climate-related emergencies, as seen with the 2024 dana in Valencia or the 2025 forest fires in Spain. Prioritizing climate and health agendas requires securing municipal, national, and European funding, implemented with a health equity perspective.

Social and economic inequalities. Climate risks multiply existing inequalities and create new vulnerabilities. In Barcelona, green urbanism,actions like housing rehabilitation or new parks, accelerates gentrification, raising housing prices. This unintended impact impedes access to housing for low- and middle-income residents. Access to quality housing is a determinant of good physical and mental health. Hence, in order to prevent displacement due to these measures, the right to housing must be protected.

Anthropocentric view of nature and individualism. Seeing nature as a resource to exploit prevents understanding the eco- and interdependencies sustaining the city. A paradigm shift is needed to see nature as part of the city by applying urban ecology principles. Adaptation solutions also require behavioral changes and collective care and responsibility for public spaces and services.

Learnings and motivation: the value of plural dialogue

The sessions ended with participants eager to continue discussions and drive actions for a healthier city and society. This shared motivation highlights an important learning: diverse dialogue and meeting spaces are valuable in themselves and also drive action. The main challenge of these workshops was to ensure plural participation, with the representation of experts, citizens, and public administration. When one of these pillars was missing, sessions were not representative and less productive. As one participant, a Barcelona City Council officer, noted, it is essential to strengthen the relationship among these three spheres and facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange. To which another participant responded, next time we should invite the private sector.