The Gràcia district has opened to the public the new streetball courts on Avinguda de Vallcarca, which replace the old facility and are part of the future transformation of the neighbourhood.
The Gràcia district now has a new space for basketball practice. The new streetball courts on Avinguda de Vallcarca, located under the viaduct, have opened their doors to the public following works that had a final cost of €2.1 million.
The facility replaces the old court situated a few metres lower and responds to a historical demand from users, as reported by the Barcelona City Council. The new space occupies an area of 1,930 square metres that until now had been unused by the public.
The project includes two streetball courts, seating areas, new urban furniture, bicycle parking, and improvements to the urban greenery. Each of the two courts is fifteen metres wide and approximately eleven metres deep.
The design of the project is based on the uses that were already taking place on the previous court, prioritising the streetball format with two side courts that facilitate simultaneous play and better adapt to the topography of the space.
Access, lighting, and security
The urbanisation has incorporated new accessible entrances from Avinguda Vallcarca, a specific lighting system for sports activities, and a perimeter fence that enhances user safety and coexistence with the residential environment.
New trees have also been planted, and the slopes surrounding the sports space have been naturalised, with solutions that promote biodiversity and landscape integration under the viaduct.
One of the most unique elements of the intervention is the recovery of the Fountain of the Girl, an emblematic element of Vallcarca's memory. The new urbanisation reinstalls the original stone basin preserved by the district and incorporates information about the history of the old fountain and its relationship with the neighbourhood.
The opening of these courts constitutes one of the first completed actions within the framework of the urban transformation of Vallcarca, a neighbourhood that has experienced decades of provisionality. The Barcelona City Council is now promoting the construction of affordable housing, improving public space, and generating urban greenery in the area.
The new facility integrates with the future configuration of the Central Park of Vallcarca, a project that aims to reorganise the public space of the neighbourhood. The basketball court ensures the continuity of sports practice in the neighbourhood throughout the transformation process.
Residents of Gràcia and nearby neighbourhoods can now enjoy the new courts, which add to the city's network of outdoor sports facilities. The facility is designed for self-organised play, without prior reservation, and is expected to have high attendance during afternoons and weekends.
The opening of the Vallcarca courts is also an example of how the city recovers underutilised spaces beneath road infrastructures and transforms them into places for gathering and physical activity. With this action, Barcelona reinforces its commitment to grassroots sports and community life.
For those who wish to learn about the history of the recovered fountain, the space itself includes informative panels explaining its origin and its connection to the collective memory of Vallcarca. The basketball court, with its new equipment, is now integrated into the urban landscape of the neighbourhood.
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