Abstract

On the wake of the successful works for the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona has continued to engage in ambitious urban projects that have positioned the city as one of most attractive locations in terms of quality of life and the relocation of businesses. One of these initiatives is the so-called 22@ project, launched in 2000 as a long-term public investment designed to redevelop 200 hectares of old industrial land into a mixed-use technological district. The 22@ district is gradually becoming an international hub of innovation, acting as a catalyst for attracting knowledge-based industry and highly skilled workers to the city. Given the acknowledged socio-economic outcomes, this paper reviews the planning strategies, the technical achievements and the state of execution according to the latest data. Urban redevelopment, particularly the infrastructure renewal plan, has played an instrumental role in the regeneration of both business and resident environments towards a new sustainable and livable model of mixed-use innovation district as it has become a benchmark for many cities around the world.