Camp de Tarragona: Restitching a Fragmented Landscape

CAMP DE TARRAGONA RESTITCHING

A FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPE

OUR TEAM

INTRODUCTION & PREMISE

This studio engaged with the historic development and current urban conditions of the Camp de Tarragona region in Catalonia and endeavored to project visions for its future. The Tramvia del Camp de Tarragona, or “TramCamp” – proposed to link the cities of the region, the airport, and the regional and high-speed rail system – presents significant opportunities and is the key prompt this studio sought to respond to.

While TramCamp is intended to improve connectivity and promote mass transit in a

currently car-dominated region, the regional and local authorities also see it as a way to counter urban sprawl and direct future growth in the region toward compact and transit-oriented development.

Focused on the region connected by TramCamp, and particularly the area between the cities of Tarragona, Reus, and Salou, this studio sought to explore how TramCamp could be built upon to achieve these goals, but also how it might, more broadly, present opportunities for reimagining the urban form of Camp de Tarragona as a region.

Camp de Tarragona sits within a coastal plain, defined by the mountains and the Mediterranean. The coastal city of Tarragona, from which the region takes its name, was originally founded by the Romans as Tarraco, and was the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Tarragona was captured and ruled successively by the Visigoths and then the Umayyads before the Christian reconquest. As a result of its rich history, Tarragona is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, Camp de Tarragona is the third largest region and the second most prominent metropolitan area of Catalonia. It is a diverse region that hosts a major petrochemical complex and an extensive port while remaining agriculturally productive. It is also a major tourist destination due to its beaches, the PortAventura World theme park, and its cultural and historical sites.

Over the twentieth century, the urban form of the broader Camp de Tarragona region has developed into a fragmented patchwork of urban clusters, industrial development, and farmland, crisscrossed

by a web of infrastructure. Today the region also faces increased housing demand and the challenges of climate change.

Of the three primary cities to be connected by TramCamp, Tarragona is the largest and remains an administrative and cultural center with its historic sites as a tourist draw. Reus, on the other hand, is a major commercial center, having been the site of industry and agricultural commodities exchange, while Salou is primarily focused on seaside tourism. TramCamp will connect these three municipalities via the city of Vila-seca.

Focused on the area between these cities, this studio explored what TramCamp might mean for the future of the region, and how the tram might help restitch its currently fragmented landscape. This studio applied strategic urban planning and design thinking at a regional scale and around a particular station node within the region where the Municipality of Tarragona has proposed a new intermodal station, which would connect TramCamp to regional and high-speed rail while acting as a new Central Station for Tarragona.

STUDIO PROCESS

Studio Approach and Methodology

The process undertaken by this studio was organized in three parts: Discovery, Framework Development, and Project Exploration:

PHASE 1: Discovery – Data Gathering/Research/ Analysis

During this initial phase, students worked in groups to assemble background site and contextual information; learn about the region’s history, culture, and economic activity; assess its environmental conditions and vulnerability to climate change; understand any existing plans, policies or ongoing debates about the region’s future; research and analyze relevant benchmark precedents; and prepare a written and graphic summary of their findings for the broader studio’s reference.

The above effort was focused through three lenses: Social Historical (historical, cultural, and economic forces); Environmental (ecology and environmental conditions); and Built Environment (urban form and infrastructure).

PHASE 2: Frameworks – Regional Strategies & Station Area Frameworks

Based upon the understanding developed during Phase 01, the students developed planning

proposals for the future development and urban transformation of the region that could engage with the urban, social, and environmental dynamics of this unique place. Working in groups, the students first developed planning strategies at the regional scale of TramCamp, specifically between Tarragona, Reus, and Salou. They then jumped to a more localized scale to draft a development framework plan for an area around Tarragona’s proposed Central Station, where the local municipality is planning to direct future residential and mixed-use development. The framework for this station area then provided the basis for further planning and design development that the studio undertook throughout the remainder of the semester.

In undertaking this effort, each studio group was tasked with defining key planning goals and objectives, regional planning strategies, and an initial high-level development framework plan for the station area.

PHASE 3: Project Exploration – Scoping and Concept Visioning

Following the development of regional strategies and planning frameworks for the station area, the students – working individually or in pairs – identified

key aspects or issues within their frameworks (e.g. resiliency, street design, housing policies, etc.) for further exploration and developed design and planning proposals in response to these aspects of their framework plan.

Each studio group explored opportunities for the transformation and redevelopment of industrial areas and infrastructure at the scale of the station area while proposing ways to link to back to the core of Tarragona, embracing the Francolí River and extending the city in the process. This course of study took into consideration planning for mobility and transitoriented development, urban design and public realm planning, resilience, adaptive reuse, and the regeneration of brownfield sites.

PHASE 01 Analysis & Exploration

01  SOCIAL HISTORICAL

GOVERNMENT

17 Communidades Autónomas

Created through the 1978 Constitution & est. 1983.02 Basic political institutions, each with an elected legislature & executive branch consisting of a president and government council. Manage education, healthcare, and regional planning, though the full range of their powers vary.

50 Provincias

Powers & responsibilities set out in Basic Law on Local Government (1985). Defined as a collection of municipalities, who are responsible for ensuring collaboration among municipalities and provide services to smaller municipalities as well as enact regional municipal works and service plans.

8.132 Municipios

Powers & responsibilities set out in Basic Law on Local Government (1985). Responsible for local regulations, within regional & national laws. Municipalities can levy their own taxes, while provincial governments cannot.

Tarragona provides services through the Tarragona City Council, including an urban planning department. Projects operate under Catalan territorial master plans & urban master plans (MPOUM), most recently approved in 2013.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population Size

Tarragona has 141.018 residents (2024) and functions as a stable mid-sized city within Catalonia. Life expectancy of 83,0 years (2023) signals strong health outcomes, but also an aging population. Provincial projections of a 29% growth in population by 2049 will increase long-term pressure on housing, infrastructure, and services.03

Natural Population Change

Population change is characterized by low fertility (7 births per 1.000) and higher mortality (11 deaths per 1.000), resulting in negative natural growth. The age structure is shifting toward older cohorts, reducing workforce replacement and increasing demand for age-appropriate housing and services.04

Migration Patterns

Migration plays a critical role in maintaining population levels. Internal migration reflects movement tied to employment and housing costs, while international migration supports labor force renewal and demographic diversity. These flows offset natural decline but generate uneven spatial and social impacts.05

Demographic Implications

Tarragona’s demographic profile reflects stability without natural growth, increasing reliance on migration, and an aging population. These trends intensify pressures on housing affordability, service capacity, and economic resilience. Planning must respond to both population change and structural shifts in household composition.06

HOUSING

Composition

In Tarragona, household life is shaped by small household sizes and a quiet diversity of living arrangements. With an average of 2,53 people per household, which is in line with Catalonia and Spain as a whole, the city has roughly 53.550 households.07 Families remain central, as couples with children make up the largest share of the population. Nevertheless, a large share of households are single-person, representing more than a quarter of all households. Couples without children and single-parent families, most often mothers with children, shape this mix, while extended or multinuclei households remain relatively few.

Residential Patterns

Residential patterns in Tarragona indicate a relatively stable population with high rates of homeownership. In 2021, approximately 74% of households were owner-occupied. Patterns of arrival reinforce this stability: the largest share of residents moved to the city before 2001, with a smaller but notable increase between 2001 and 2010, followed by lower levels of in-migration in more recent years.08 About 1 in 10 residents were born in the city, further underscoring the importance of long-term residence in shaping local housing patterns.

Form & Age

Tarragona’s housing stock is predominantly multifamily and relatively mature. In 2021, nearly 80% of dwellings were located in buildings with three or more units, while single- and two-dwelling buildings accounted for a much smaller share.09 Construction is concentrated mainly in the post-WWII period, with a significant share of dwellings built between 1951 and 1980. More recent construction after 2000 accounts for a smaller share of the total stock, indicating incremental growth rather than large-

scale renewal. Overall, the city’s residential form reflects an apartment-based urban fabric shaped by mid- to late-twentieth-century expansion, with clear implications for building performance, accessibility, and long-term adaptation.

New housing construction in Tarragona has been highly uneven over the past two decades. Housing starts peaked in the mid-2000s, followed by a sharp decline after the 2008 financial crisis and a prolonged period of low activity through the early 2010s. While construction has increased modestly in recent years, overall volumes remain well below precrisis levels. Housing built with official protection has consistently represented only a small share of total production, indicating limited expansion of affordable housing within the broader supply.

Housing Costs & Affordability

Housing costs in Tarragona reflect growing affordability pressures despite relatively stable ownership patterns. Average monthly rent is approximately €888 for a one-bedroom apartment, while the average home sale price (€168.592) slightly exceeds the national average, with new construction commanding significantly higher prices.10 On average, households spend about 35% of their income on housing, above the Spanish average of 32%, indicating elevated cost burdens even in a mid-sized city context. While housing instability has declined since its post-housing-crisis peak, only 8,4% of Catalans were housing-burdened in 2021.11 The combination of rising rents, higher purchase prices, and limited affordable housing supply continues to constrain access, particularly for renters and new households.

INDUSTRIES & ECONOMICS

Industry

Employment in Tarragona is concentrated in professional and service-oriented occupations, each accounting for approximately 21% of local jobs in 2021.12 Professional employment is slightly more concentrated than the regional average, indicating a modest specialization in higher-skilled work. Over the past decade, the city has experienced a notable decline in clerical employment, with an estimated loss of roughly 2.300 positions. Despite these shifts, total employment has increased by approximately 3.000 jobs since 2011, suggesting an overall restructuring of the local labor market rather than a net decline.

Employment

In 2021, the total active population of Tarragona constituted 54% of the 114.322 residents over the age of 16. 84% of the active population was employed, yielding a 16% unemployment rate. Of the 52.761 inactive residents, 43% reported another situation

of inactivity, 37% were retired, 14% were students, and 6% were disabled.13

Tarragona has experienced growth in employment throughout the decade in line with employment trends of Catalonia. Since 2011, Tarragona’s unemployment rate decreased by 12 percentage points, while Catalonia’s decreased by 13.14

Among Tarragona’s inactive population from 2011 to 2021, residents with another situation of inactivity increased by 26 percentage points while students decreased by 28 percentage points. These trends follow Catalonia’s, as the number of students decreased by 72% and 75% across the municipality and region.15

Education

Of Tarragona’s total active population, 23% obtained their high school degree as of 2021 while 47% hold a bachelor’s or higher. Employed residents tend to be more educated: 52% completed a bachelor’s or higher, while 22% held high school degrees and 21% completed through middle school. For unemployed residents, these rates were 23%, 25%, and 43%, respectively, demonstrating that the largest contingency of unemployed residents were those who graduated middle school. These metrics all mirror broader trends in Catalonia.16

Occupation

Tarragona’s residents predominantly work in service and industry sectors. Of the 51.855 working residents in Tarragona in 2021, 80% were classified as working in Services, while 13%, 7%, and 1% were classified as working in Industry, Construction, and Agriculture, respectively.17

Income

Residents within the province of Tarragona earn slightly less on average than across Catalonia. In 2021, Tarragona province reported the average household income to be 40.378 € and average net income per household as 33.304 €. These represented a 17% and 15% increase since 2016 and were 0,85 and 0,87 times the average income and average net income across Catalonia, respectively. Barcelona, through its economic prominence within the autonomous community, likely raises household average incomes in Catalonia. However, Tarragona still maintained an elevated share in the wealth when compared to Spain.18

SOCIAL & CULTURAL LIFE

Tarragona’s social and cultural life is deeply shaped by its rich history, Mediterranean setting, and strong civic traditions. Social life unfolds across streets, plazas, and the waterfront. These spaces accommodate daily routines as well as seasonal peaks tied to festivals and tourism, reinforcing a shared urban identity rooted in history, celebration, and collective experience.

Tarragona’s rich history attracts visitors to its public spaces, particularly around heritage sites and the waterfront.

The city has a wide range of museums that showcase its layered history, cultural heritage, and artistic traditions.23

Tarragona’s culture is rich and diverse, shaped by a year-round calendar of festivals, a wide range of markets, along with monuments and nightlife. Different activities chart rhythms of interaction and celebration across the city, from regular routines to large seasonal events. Together, they contribute to a vibrant cultural atmosphere that influences movement, economic activity, and everyday life.

Festivals are held throughout the year, activating the city and becoming a key part of the residents’ everyday lives.21

Markets are a central part of everyday life, supporting local commerce while fostering regular social interaction.24

Human Towers is an important tradition that has been practiced for generations and remains central to local identity.22

Nightlife is a vital part of the city’s culture, ranging from theater performances to live music and evening social activity.25

KEY FINDINGS

Tarragona’s urban structure and social life are deeply shaped by its long history, regional planning framework, and mixed economic base. The city combines a strong heritage identity with service and industrial employment, while demographic trends and housing conditions point to evolving needs around affordability, stability, and access. Planning operates across multiple scales, linking regional strategy with municipal implementation.

Taken together, these social, economic, and cultural factors shape Tarragona as it exists today and reflect how the city has developed over time. They provide a comprehensive picture of existing social conditions, including patterns of everyday life, work, and cultural activity. Understanding these combined dynamics establishes a clear foundation for evaluating future change and guiding informed planning decisions.

02 ENVIRONMENTAL

IXCHEL RAMIREZ

HENRY SYWULAK–HERR

JEFFERY TSENG

LAND USE & AGRICULTURE

Land Use

Urban land comprises just 6,4% of Camp de Tarragona and is largely concentrated in the three major cities of Tarragona, Reus, and Salou.26 Tarragona’s historic residential core is complemented by dense, forested land to the northeast and a significant industrial presence to the west. Reus, while mostly residential and commercial in its downtown, has small pockets of industrial land throughout the fringes of the city with few large and open green spaces. Salou’s tourist-centric nature is reflected in its predominately residential character, with the Infinitum Golf Courses and PortAventura World representing a large portion of the city’s green space.

Agriculture

The climate of Camp de Tarragona is characterized by hot summers, moderately chilly winters, and little snowfall. Average monthly temperatures and rainfall in the region range from 8°C to 27°C and from 12mm to 50mm, respectively.27 This combination of factors places Camp de Tarragona within the Spain Plant Hardiness Zone of 9b,28 making Tarragona, Reus, and Salou not only pleasant tourist destinations, but strong agricultural hubs. Of all land within Camp de Tarragona, 35,6% is allocated to agricultural land uses, with nearly two-thirds of this agricultural land devoted to woody agriculture: predominately crops such as olives and grapes.29

off of 47 original

GREEN SPACE & BIODIVERSITY

Green Space & Public Access

Two key figures frame the current condition of green space in Tarragona. The city’s urban green space coverage stands at 4,2%, which is notably higher than Tarragonès county’s average of 2.75%.31 While this suggests that Tarragona performs relatively better at the regional scale, this figure remains well below the World Health Organization’s recommended range of 10-15%.32 In practice, this means that Tarragona provides less than half of the green space considered necessary to support public health, environmental comfort, and everyday urban life.

When focusing specifically on public urban parks, this shortage becomes more severe. Existing studies show that Tarragona offers only 2,3m2 of public park space per person.33 To contextualize this number, it is roughly equivalent to the area of a double size bed, yet it represents the total park space available to a single resident. This comparison highlights a critical issue: although overall green space may appear acceptable at a citywide scale, accessible and usable green space is extremely limited within

Tarragona’s urban area. For many residents, daily access to parks for recreation, social interaction, and contact with nature is highly constrained.

Tree Cover & Biodiversity

Beyond quantity, Tarragona faces significant challenges related to the quality of existing green spaces. Using the Public Quality Index methodology developed by MDPI Urban Studies, parks were evaluated based on vegetation, equipment, and furnishings. Very few parks in Tarragona are classified as high quality, with most falling into medium-tolow or low-quality categories. This indicates that the issue is not only how much green space exists, but how well it supports everyday use.34

Furthermore, urban trees are unevenly distributed across the city. While some peripheral or less-dense areas show relatively good coverage, the densest residential and commercial districts contain the fewest trees. This pattern is particularly concerning, as these high-density areas are where shade, cooling, and environmental buffering are most needed. The lack of trees in these zones exacerbates heat stress and reduces environmental comfort for residents.

Simultaneously, the city is experiencing a decline in vegetation diversity. In 2023, Tarragona planted 79 different species, reflecting a relatively diverse planting strategy. By 2024, this number had dropped sharply to 44 species.35 This narrowing of species selection signals a reduction in urban biodiversity and increases vulnerability to pests, disease, and environmental stress, weakening the ecological resilience of the urban landscape.

Ecological Network & Climate Resilience

This decline in biodiversity is closely linked to challenges in climate adaptation.

Only a limited share of newly planted species are suitable for future climate conditions. In 2023, only approximately 32% of planted species were considered climate-adapted, decreasing further to 26% by 2024.36 Despite ongoing planting efforts, the city is relying on a narrower and less-resilient range of species, many of which are poorly suited to a hotter and drier future.

Beyond its urban fabric, Tarragona contains several protected natural areas that play an important ecological role at the regional scale. They include a wetland supporting over 80 species of migratory birds, a coastal pine forest and marine zone, and an ecologically vital river mouth area. While these landscapes provide significant biodiversity value, their connections to the city’s everyday green spaces remain limited.

The broader ecological network highlights this disconnect. Tarragona hosts a fragmented system of green spaces and corridors, with continuous connections in some areas and discontinuous links in others. Much of the city’s vegetation exhibits low-tomoderate density and vitality, represented by lighter green tones, while only a few areas display strong ecological performance. Together, these findings point to a green system that is fragmented, uneven in quality, and limited in resilience, underscoring the need for a more connected, climate-responsive, and multifunctional green infrastructure strategy.

FLOOD RISKS

Why does it matter?

As part of our analysis of Camp de Tarragona, one of the most critical environmental factors we need to address is water and, in particular, the risks associated with flooding. This region, like much of Spain, is shaped by its rivers, coastline, and changing climate. Understanding flood risk is essential, not only because of the region’s history and geography, but also because of its direct impact on communities, infrastructure, and long-term resilience.

Facts & Figures

• Floods are Spain’s most damaging natural hazard. Between 2000 and 2022, floods caused 224 deaths (20% of all natural hazard deaths) and nearly €7,9 billion in compensation payouts, representing over 70% of disasterrelated damages in Spain.42

• High exposure nationally: at least 3,3 million people (6,9% of residents) in Spain live in mapped flood prone areas (FPAs).43

• Catalonia and Camp de Tarragona lie within the internal drainage basin of Catalonia which includes the Francolí river. About 325.000 people – 6,6% of the region’s population – are at risk of being impacted by future flooding events.44

• Sea level across Catalonia’s coast has been rising at a rate of 2,5 to 3,5 millimeters per year over the past three decades.45 That may sound small, but over a century it adds up to 25-35 centimeters.

Historical Flood Hazards

Floods have reshaped Tarragona’s delta for centuries with major episodes between 1580-1620 (Early Modern Catastrophic flood events), 1760-1800, and 1840-1880, leaving thick sedimentary signatures. From the catastrophic floods of the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries to the 2019 Francolí flash flood and Storm Gloria in 2020, Tarragona’s delta has always been defined by flood risk. Today, the impacts fall on industries, infrastructure, and communities concentrated in the floodplain.48

Francolí Flash Flood (October 2019)

This flash flood was triggered by intense autumn Mediterranean rainfall (over 200mm in less than 24 hours in the Prades Mountains), resulting in sudden overflow of the Francolí River that swept through Tarragona. It was one of the deadliest floods in Catalonia (6 fatalities) in recent decades, a reminder of how “flashy” the Francolí is.49

Storm Gloria (2020)

Storm Gloria intensely affected the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula from January 19-26, 2020, with an awful sea storm and heavy rain that almost reached 500mm in some locations. This was a compound flood event where heavy rain inland resulted in swollen rivers while strong easterly winds created a storm surge along the Catalan coast.50

Significant impacts:

• Combined river and coastal flooding across Catalonia.

• Port of Tarragona and beachfronts inundated; transportation systems disrupted.

ENERGY & PETROCHEMICALS

Energy

Camp de Tarragona’s energy landscape is interconnected with and heavily influenced by broader trends in energy generation throughout Catalonia, most notably that 58% of power generation across the autonomous region comes from nuclear power. Despite this, Camp de Tarragona has no nuclear power generation capacity of its own.52 A single combined-cycle gas turbine power plant with an estimated 400MW generation capacity is located within Tarragona’s western industrial district and a network of photovoltaic installations dotted around the region supplement the surrounding cities’ power needs.53 As of 2023, the energy sector accounted for 73% of Catalonia’s greenhouse gas emissions, spurring a wave of recent investment in green hydrogen and methanol production among Tarragona’s industrial entities5455 as well as a broad commitment on the part of the Catalan government to reduce energy usage by 30% across the region by 2050.56

Petrochemical Industry

The strong industrial presence outside of Tarragona’s city center, on the western bank of the Francolí River, was constructed largely in the 1960s.57 Comprised of approximately 30 companies dealing largely in petrochemical processing and production, this complex, referred to as the ChemMed Tarragona: Mediterranean Chemical Cluster, accounts for approximately 25% of Spain’s total chemical output.58 While these facilities are a major employer, several chemical accidents between 2013 and 2020 – such as an explosion at a Repsol reactor that sent shrapnel flying three miles into downtown Tarragona – have raised concerns among residents regarding their proximity to these facilities.596061 Safety and sustainability have been a recent focus of the Chemical Cluster, a notable example of which occurring in 2013 when, under mounting pressure from regional regulations to reduce water usage, the complex began utilizing recycled wastewater in its facilities for a portion of its water consumption.62

KEY FINDINGS

Camp de Tarragona’s strength as a region lies in its history of compact urban development that allowed for the dominance of agriculture in the region. Its cities of Tarragona, Reus, and Salou all developed along slightly different trajectories – industrial center, market and economic hub, and tourist destination – resulting in varying compositions of urban, industrial, and open space land uses in each.

Residents notably lack equal and easy access to green space in and around the three cities, with only 2,3m2 of accessibly green space available per capita. The vegetation coverage within these open spaces is notably declining in diversity, and those species that remain are not all well-suited to cope with the growing impacts of climate change.

Flooding has shaped Tarragona’s delta for centuries and the risk of flooding in the region has only grown stronger year over year, presenting a worsening threat to development around many of Camp de Tarragona’s waterways. Riverine flooding and

coastal flooding batter Camp de Tarragona’s coastal towns of Tarragona and Salou from both sides, with the Francolí River emerging a particular source of concern as redevelopment plans for the industrial site at the river’s mouth becomes more concrete.

Finally, the growth of the petrochemical industry in Tarragona has turned the area into one of the leading chemical producing sites in Spain, but hazardous disasters as well as high water and land usage has called into question the future of industry in Tarragona. In the face of climate change, Tarragona’s industries are seeking to transform their images through investments in green hydrogen and more sustainable industrial practices. However, the continued production of environmentally harmful, fossil-fuel-derived products will continue to undermine their efforts. These environmental factors and more will play influential roles in Camp de Tarragona’s future and require planning that deliberately takes them into account.

03 BUILT ENVIRONMENT

URBAN FORM

The urban form of Tarragona and its surrounding region is characterized by a long history of growth and urbanization. Understanding how the morphology, architecture, and scale of the city has changed over time provides insight into the planning trends that have shaped the built environment.

Morphology

arragona was first founded as the Roman city of Tarraco in the second century BC (Fig. 43).64 The city center was located on a fortified hill which opened up onto the mouth of the Francolí River and Tarraco’s harbor.65 As the city expanded, the theatre, bathhouse, forum, market, amphitheater, and warehouses filled the land between the port and the city center.66

Roman Tarraco was abandoned in the 700s, and the city’s morphology did not change again until the 1100s, when Tarragona was resettled and transformed into a Medieval city (Fig. 44).67 The Roman-era pier was replaced during this period and portions of the coastline were filled to plant orchards, creating an atmosphere that would have been more rural than the Roman form of the past.68 Tarragona’s main focal point at this time was the city’s cathedral which was placed on top of the ruins of the Temple of Augustus.69

By the late 1800s, Tarragona had transformed into a modern city characterized by larger blocks and streets, catering to vehicle travel, and the introduction of railroad lines along the coast (Fig. 45). The Rambla Nova was also introduced into the city fabric during the Modernist period, cutting a street parallel with the old city, and creating a main boulevard to the sea.70

Today, the contemporary city of Tarragona continues to grow (Fig. 46). Featuring both urban and suburban morphologies, the city’s industrial and residential footprints have expanded into a sprawling landscape.

Architectural Styles

Tarragona’s architecture falls into four main categories: Classical, Gothic, Modernisme, and Contemporary.

The Colony Forum (Fig. 47) is one example of Classical architecture that was seen in the city during Roman times. This style of architecture is characterized by stone construction, columns following the classical orders, grand municipal buildings, infrastructure and public space design, and ornamental or sculptural elements.71

Gothic style architecture in Tarragona is best exemplified by the Catedral de Tarragona (Fig. 48).

Architecture from this period often has a religious use and features elements like rose windows, gothic arches, and figures in niches.72

Modernisme is the Catalan style of Art Nouveau architecture.73 Both the Balcó del Mediterrani (Fig. 49)74 and the Mercat Central (Fig. 50)75 are examples of the Modernisme style in Tarragona, showing off the use of steel, expressive ornament, and curves typical of this architecture. Largely seen in civic spaces and along the Rambla Nova, many Modernisme buildings are still in use today.

New construction and adaptive reuse are both common in the contemporary architecture of Tarragona. New construction is mainly focused on single-family homes using brick and stucco materials and often featuring pools.76 Adaptive reuse is common in Tarragona, which allows the existing built environment to be reimagined in the city.77

PUBLIC REALM

Places & Spaces

Camp de Tarragona is defined by a dispersed yet interconnected urban structure anchored by the historic cores of Tarragona, Reus, and the surrounding municipalities. Tarragona’s dense medieval center and waterfront districts constitute the region’s primary urban concentration, characterized by compact blocks, narrow streets, and a rich layering of cultural landmarks, including the Roman Amphitheatre (MHT), the Catedral de Tarragona, and the historic Roman Aqueducts. These heritage sites shape not only the region’s identity but also its patterns of public space, tourism, and mobility. Beyond the historic center, modern neighborhoods expand outward, characterized by more regular block forms, mid-rise residential clusters, and a network of parks and civic spaces. Major public destinations – including Nou Estadi Costa Daurada and Plaça de la Imperial Tarraco –function as urban anchors, reinforcing the role of open space and cultural amenities in structuring the contemporary city. At the metropolitan scale, the region’s urban form is shaped by a constellation of municipalities connected by transportation corridors and shared hydrological systems. Building heights and densities vary significantly: Tarragona and Reus have the highest concentrations of taller blocks, whereas coastal towns such as Salou and inland communities such as Vila-seca and La Canonja contain lower, more dispersed patterns. Together, these settlements form a polycentric urban landscape where historic density, suburban expansion, and coastal development coexist within a single ecological and mobility network.

MOBILITY

Structural Condition

Mobility in Camp de Tarragona functions less as a question of congestion and more as a structural condition, shaping access, equity, and environmental performance. Despite the presence of extensive road, rail, and bus infrastructure, everyday mobility across the territory remains overwhelmingly dependent on private vehicles.

This dependence is not driven by delay or capacity constraints, but by the relative reliability, continuity, and ease of car travel compared to alternative modes. As a result, public transport and active mobility operate as secondary systems rather than viable everyday alternatives, reinforcing spatial fragmentation across the region.

Mode Dependence

Importantly, congestion is not the defining challenge of regional mobility. Traffic flows along major corridors such as the A-7 and AP-7 highways remain relatively continuous, particularly outside

peak periods, reinforcing the attractiveness of private vehicles.

Car travel consistently offers the most direct and predictable option across dispersed urban structures. In contrast, public transport lacks the continuity, frequency, and spatial integration required to compete with private vehicles for everyday regional trips. The result is a condition of mode dependence rather than mode failure.

Key Consequences

Unequal access to employment, education, and services.

• High exposure to emissions, noise, and heat along mobility corridors.

• Fragmentation of urban fabrics by oversized infrastructure.

• Limited viability of walking, cycling, and transit at the regional scale.

Car Dependence

Regional mobility data highlights the scale of car dependence across the Camp de Tarragona region. For every interurban bus trip, approximately 23 trips are made by private vehicle. For every train trip, 748 trips are made by car or motorcycle.78 These ratios reflect not only low public transportation usage, but the absence of a coherent intermodal system capable of supporting everyday regional movement.

Service Gaps

Public transportation coverage further reinforces this diagnosis. While around 63% of the built territory lies within theoretical service areas (500 meters from bus stops and 800 meters from train stations), 37% of urbanized land remains effectively unserved.79

Industrial estates and low-density employment zones are particularly disconnected, structurally forcing car dependence regardless of individual choice. Frequency, intermodality, and first- and lastmile conditions remain largely unaddressed at the regional scale.

Limited Active Mobility

Walking and cycling play an important role within historic centers and compact neighborhoods but lack effectiveness at the regional scale. Pedestrian networks become fragmented in outside districts, while cycling infrastructure lacks continuity and protection. As a result, active mobility functions primarily as a local supplement rather than a regional alternative.

Equity & Environment

The existing mobility structure produces uneven social and environmental impacts. Groups with limited access to private vehicles – youth, older adults, and lower-income populations – face reduced access to employment and services. Communities located along major corridors experience higher exposure to emissions, noise, and heat. Limited shade, high surface temperatures, and fragmented public space further constrain car alternatives.

TramCamp presents a significant opportunity. While not yet operational, it reflects institutional recognition of the need for better public transportation. Its expected alignment along key corridors positions it to address key gaps in service.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Camp de Tarragona region faces significant infrastructural challenges as it strives to meet the needs of diverse sectors while also improving sustainability and resilience. In addition to serving residents, the region’s infrastructure serves the needs of industry and logistics, freight, and tourism. As development patterns become more dispersed, the government continues to expand its infrastructure to respond to growing public service and transportation needs.

Roadways consume large amounts of land because of high levels of motor vehicle usage in Tarragona. The total surface area of roadways in the region 1.144 hectares, which is equivalent to the entire surface area of Salou.80 Large arterial roads have heavy traffic with the A-7 getting an average of 50.000 vehicles per day and AP-7 an average of 30.000 vehicles per day.81 However, sprawling development has led to overbuilding of roadways for passenger travel. Locals report there is little to no traffic congestion because of abundant road infrastructure. This creates convenient travel conditions for private vehicles, but the growing share of impervious land cover poses a challenge for a region that needs to address flood risks and climate change.

The Port of Tarragona is central to the region’s economy and shapes its physical identity, supporting both industrial and tourism activity. Approximately 75 million tons of cargo82 are handled by the port each year which include plastics, chemicals, paper, produce, livestock, and cars.83 Many of these goods are transported by truck, but many also move via the freight rail lines adjacent to the port. In addition to

freight, the region’s growing popularity as a tourist destination brings many cruise ships into the port.84 In 2024, around 136.000 cruise passengers arrived through the port.85 It is also a place for recreational activity with over 500 moorings for private boats and yachts.86

The region’s utilities reflect its movement toward more sustainable consumption. For instance, electricity is generated at the SIRUSA waste-toenergy power plant, located just northwest of Tarragona, which receives household waste and incinerates it to produce electricity.87 The regional water provider, Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona (CAT), is also recognized as a leader in sustainable practices. Not only is Catalonia a very droughtprone region, but there was also a major pipe failure in 2020 that pushed CAT to address its operations and make major efficiency upgrades by minimizing pipe breakages and leaks.88 The area is so dry that water has to be sourced from the Ebro River – about 70 kilometers southwest of Tarragona – at the L’Ampolla Drinking Water Treatment Plant. Tarragona also contracts a gas power plant operated by Iberdrola Combined Cycle Power Plant, located within the ChemMed complex.89

Camp de Tarragona’s infrastructure reflects a region optimized for economic activity and mobility but challenged by sprawl and climate vulnerability. Roadways and port infrastructure support industry, freight, and tourism, but contribute to natural resource consumption and car dependence. The region’s primary challenge moving forward will be continuing to make progress toward sustainability through its infrastructure investments.

KEY FINDINGS

Strengths

The region’s built environment has strong character and charm. With a rich history and cultural footprint, cities like Tarragona and Reus have thriving city centers characterized by humanscale buildings, dense urban fabrics, and walkable streets. There are also strong moves toward traffic calming and parking regulations. Furthermore, the region features rail and bus hubs, as well as the port, which are supported by robust transportation infrastructure.

Weaknesses

Increased sprawl and suburbanization are weaknesses of recent development trends for the regional built environment. Following these trends, the region is largely car dependent with narrow sidewalks, a fragmented cycling network, and uneven transit coverage, making other forms of mobility difficult. Likewise, the Camp de Tarragona station is located far from the city center. Furthermore, historic buildings and infrastructure might not be accessible to nor meet the needs of today’s residents.

Opportunities

There are opportunities to continue work on adaptive reuse and preservation in the region. Many of the region’s historic structures are candidates for modernization and accessibility upgrades. The region’s existing history of growth and change can be further bolstered by the potential for transitorient development and micromobility integration in response to the TramCamp proposal. Lastly, the Francolí River is currently underutilized as an active part of the public realm and presents an opportunity to be reimagined into a more active destination.

Challenges

The protection of historic sites and older city centers will be an ongoing challenge for the region both in terms of setting the proper rules and regulations regarding new development and in preserving significant historic sites. The region also faces the challenge of integrating new infrastructure into tight, historic urban settings. Prominent industrial sites are a challenge for public space activation and contribute to health and environmental concerns. Flooding risk in these areas also present a challenge for building climate-resilient infrastructure. Lastly, mobility challenges such as congestion, parking shortages, and modal imbalances are also issues in the region.

PHASE 02 Frameworks

DESCRIPTION

Phase 02 Emerging Framework Development

Following the initial research and analysis in Phase 01, the students re-grouped into three teams, mixing and distributing knowledge gained by the analysis groups, developing regional planning strategies, and drafting framework approaches for the transformation of the station area. They thought again in layers and systems, along the lines of the analysis “lenses,” but this time as a generative exercise that could inform planning proposals. As they defined key goals and guiding principles and crafted a draft framework strategy for future development, the students were tasked to continually think between the scale of the TramCamp region and the development site area around the POUM-proposed Central Station west of the Francolí River. This area sits between the historic core of Tarragona, the port, major regional industrial lands, and other isolated residential areas such as Torreforta.

Collectively the studio developed three unique framework plans, illustrating a range of approaches and deploying a variety of system strategies. Each of the three teams took different approaches to issues of mobility, urban form and structure, natural landscapes, and public open space. Additionally, the frameworks illustrate a range of attitudes about key existing challenges in the region, including industry, infrastructure, and climate change, highlighting flood risk in particular.

After visiting Camp de Tarragona midway into Phase 02 and meeting with local architects, planners, and city planning officials both at local and regional levels of government, the students came back to Philadelphia with new insights and energy to refine and finalize their regional strategies and station area frameworks.

Framework 01

Framework 01 builds upon a regional approach to link the broader mobility introduced by TramCamp to a reimagined and better-connected regional network of green and recreational open spaces within Camp de Tarragona. Nested within this broader strategy, their station area framework plan is structured around a fine-grain, robust network of green open spaces and corridors through which new development within the station area and the surrounding communities beyond can be connected.

Framework 02

Framework 02 assesses existing industrial landuse, open space, and regional flood risks to develop a regional planning strategy that sensitively incorporates scale, land use patterns, and the urban fabric of the region. They endeavor to support and enhance the existing industrial economy at the station area level, proposing an urban fabric that could support a transition toward cleaner, more ecologically-sensitive industries suitable for a hybrid, mixed-use district. Finally, Framework 02 proposes a development overlay along the Francolí River that prioritizes distributed district-wide strategies to mitigate flood risk within the station area.

Framework 03

Framework 03 began with an assessment of riverine and coastal flooding risk across the Camp de Tarragona region, seeking to propose development strategies that would integrate nature-based approaches to stormwater management and flood mitigation. They developed a station area development framework organized around existing patterns of water flow and the proposed daylighting of underground streams. Ultimately, they propose a public realm network integrated with blue green infrastructure that organizes and structures development within the district.

FRAMEWORK 01

INTRODUCTION

Framework 01 is focused on identifying ways to improve quality of life for the residents of the Camp de Tarragona region by creating more equitable and sustainable neighborhoods. It recognizes that there are many existing assets like dense, historic urban cores, diversified economic strength, and rich cultural heritage, but that there is also room

for innovation that could enhance standards of living. This framework incorporates multimodal transportation options, targeted housing redevelopment, and interconnected public green space to address accessibility gaps, housing shortages, and public space inequities throughout Camp de Tarragona.

PRINCIPLES KEY ANALYSIS

Our vision for Camp de Tarragona is to create healthy cities for all by designing complete neighborhoods with civic and cultural destinations that anchor neighborhoods, multimodal transportation to improve access to key destinations, an adequate supply of affordable housing options, and interconnected public space investments that advance human and ecological wellbeing.

REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

Auto-Dependent but with Potential for Change

The region is heavily car-dependent, with 90% of trips made by private vehicles.90 Although the historic cores are attractive, walkable districts, the peripheral neighborhoods suffer from fragmented sidewalks. There is a total of 140km of bike lanes within the region, but these paths lack connectivity and many people do not feel safe enough to use them.91 There is a public bus system, but only about 5% of trips are made using public transportation because of lack of access, low quality service, and the superior convenience of motor vehicle travel.92 These gaps in service present equity and accessibility issues for women and youth who are disproportionately reliant on transit and walking and therefore are limited in terms of their ability to access employment and educational opportunities.

Mobility Opportunity: TramCamp

This framework advocates for transit-oriented development around the proposed TramCamp stations. By fostering compact, mixed-use growth around high-capacity public transportation, the stations could anchor a multimodal network that promotes shorter trips and, in doing so, reduces emissions while expanding access to education, employment, and other opportunities. TramCamp would be supported by an active mobility network to provide healthy transportation options and enhanced first- and last-mile connectivity.

Evolving Housing Needs

Tarragona needs to adapt its housing stock to meet the needs of current residents. Although 12% of housing units are vacant now, the region projects that it will need to accommodate 63.140 additional households in the next 10 years. Another key challenge will be ensuring long-term housing affordability, as 9% of households are already rentburdened and major investments like TramCamp and public space development have the potential to increase the cost of living. Lastly, the region is concerned with the acceleration of urban sprawl and wants to concentrate future development closer to urban centers.

Limited Access to High-Quality Public Green Space

Despite an abundance of natural beauty, there is relatively little public green space in Tarragona. Only 3% of land is public green space with an average of 3m2 per capita,93 which is far below the World Health Organization’s recommendation for a minimum of 9m2 per capita.94 Of existing public spaces, most are small parklets or plazas that lack dense vegetation or opportunities for robust active recreation and play. In fact, only 10% of the regional population lives within a 15-minute walk of a large park (defined as those greater than eight hectares). There is also only 16% tree coverage95, which is only about half of the European Union’s target of 30% coverage to mitigate urban heat.96 The fragmented distribution of public spaces demonstrates a need for regional connectivity between green spaces to foster an interconnected greenway for wildlife and more space for recreational use that can improve quality of life.

Determining Housing Density

To identify where to locate new housing developments, we examined opportunities for adaptive reuse and infill within the service areas of the TramCamp stations. Then, we considered the degree of density of existing development to ensure proposed development matches the character of the current buildings.

Determining Housing Typologies

To propose more specific housing developments, we also considered the demographics and ages of existing residents. For instance, in the northeastern part of Tarragona there is a university so additional student housing would be appropriate, but in the northwest, there are more seniors so a different type of housing would be more fitting.

Limited Access to Public Green Space

To understand where the gaps in access to public green space are within the TramCamp station service areas, we ran an analysis to show all areas within a 15-minute walk of them. Since most public spaces are very small, we ran this analysis again for only large public spaces (over eight hectares). Only 10% of the region (red) lives within a 15-minute walk of a large park and no large parks are in Reus.

Opportunities for Public Space Investments

Based on existing conditions such as the unequal distribution of public space and need for climate resilient urban areas, we identified context-specific opportunities for public space investments along the TramCamp route based on precedents. From left to right, they are vegetal canopies, urban forests, floodable parks, adapted industrial land, and large central parks.

Existing Trail Network

We inventoried existing trail networks in the Camp de Tarragona region. Reus has a plan called the “Green V” project to expand its network of public green space, Salou’s Camí de Ronda follows its coast, and Tarragona also has a coastal pathway.

Proposed Regional Trail Network

Reus, Salou, and Tarragona each have components of trails and separate plans for future stewardship of natural lands. We propose linking these into one greenway system to provide more space for recreation, conduits for wildlife, and more space for vegetation.

COMPOSITE REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

The Healthy City Framework integrates recommendations for enhanced mobility, housing, and public green spaces. It proposes integrating TramCamp with safer active transportation to improve multimodal connectivity. It identifies specific locations for new and adapted housing developments and suggests housing density and type. Finally, it identifies a strategy for equitable public space development and a regional greenway system.

STATION AREA FRAMEWORK

Layer 1: Mobility

Mobility within the station area is structured around a tram boulevard that operates as the primary multimodal spine. This corridor integrates tram service with protected cycling infrastructure and wide pedestrian realms, prioritizing clarity, safety, and continuity for non-automobile movement. A fine-grained local street network extends from the spine, designed as low-speed streets that provide direct neighborhood access while limiting throughtraffic. Vehicular movement is accommodated through controlled loops that connect to regional roads without allowing high-speed traffic to dominate the station environment. Together, these elements shift mobility from car dependence toward transit, walking, and cycling as the most accessible and efficient options for local trips.

Layer 2: Public Space & Green Infrastructure

Public space is organized as a connected system of green hubs and linear corridors that structure movement, social interaction, and environmental performance. Larger green hubs serve as sites for gathering, recreation, and neighborhood identity, while green corridors link these spaces to each other, the station, and the broader regional landscape, including the Francolí River. These corridors also function as shaded active mobility routes, supporting walking and cycling across the district. Tree canopy, permeable surfaces, and native planting mitigate heat, manage stormwater, and improve microclimatic comfort, ensuring public space supports both daily use and long-term resilience.

Layer 3: Land Use

Land use within the station area prioritizes proximity to transit, functional mix, and adaptability. Higherdensity residential development is concentrated within walking distance of the station to maximize access to high-capacity public transport, while mixed-use programs are located along the tram spine to activate ground floors and support daily needs. Existing industrial areas are selectively adapted to accommodate commercial, cultural, and employment uses, allowing productive land to evolve without erasure.

Layer 4: Built Form

Built form reinforces the station area as a compact, permeable district anchored by transit access. Buildings along the tram corridor are organized as mid-rise, mixed-use forms with active ground floors, internal courtyards, and small plazas that support pedestrian life. Residential buildings vary in height and typology to respond to adjacent contexts, providing diverse housing options with shared open spaces. Adapted industrial structures retain flexible floor plates and structural systems, enabling reuse for employment, cultural, and light industrial functions. Collectively, these forms create an urban fabric that supports density while maintaining connectivity, daylight, and long-term adaptability.

COMPOSITE FRAMEWORK

The station area is organized as a set of layered districts structured around the station as a central connector along the main transit axis. Industrial functions are retained to the south, including existing infrastructure, while adjacent areas are adapted for reuse to allow for a gradual transition. Mixed-use zones line the station corridor, creating active edges and linking transit with surrounding

neighborhoods. Residential areas are located to the north and southeast, embedded within a continuous green framework, while an art district on the eastern edge adds a cultural layer to the site.

Together, these elements form a flexible and connected station area framework that supports movement, daily activity, and long-term adaptability.

CHARACTER ZONES

The station area is organized into distinct character zones that respond to different urban roles. Two Residential Hearts form the primary living areas, providing a calm and neighborhood-oriented environment. Running through the site, the Everyday Spine acts as a continuous public corridor that supports daily movement, social activity, and local services.

Along the southern edge of the station area, the Regenerative Edge addresses the industrial and infrastructural boundary, allowing for ecological repair and future adaptation. On the eastern side, the Commercial & Art District introduces a more active and creative character, supporting cultural uses, commerce, and public engagement.

CONCEPT COLLAGE

This concept collage visualizes how the station area can evolve into a place organized around everyday life, rather than through-traffic or single-use zoning. It depicts streets designed for people first, where walking, cycling, and transit shape the public realm and create safer, more comfortable environments for daily movement. Green spaces are integrated throughout the district, not as isolated parks but as connected places that support social interaction, environmental comfort, and neighborhood identity.

Housing, local retail, and community uses are layered around the transit corridor to create active

edges and continuous street life, while existing industrial structures are adapted to support new cultural, commercial, and creative uses. Together, these elements form a cohesive stationarea environment that connects surrounding neighborhoods, supports daily routines, and allows the area to change over time without losing its character. Rather than presenting a fixed-end state, the collages communicate a flexible and humanscale vision for growth that builds on existing assets and reinforces the station as a social and civic anchor.

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, & NEXT STEPS

Grounded in principles of mobility, accessibility, equity, and sustainability, this framework seeks to balance growth with broader goals of inclusive and resilient development in the new transit district. Mobility is centered on improving micromobility, public transit access, and the pedestrian experience. Green space interventions operate on two levels: increasing the amount of recreational and open space available while also connecting the revitalized district to the city of Tarragona and the broader region.

In terms of built form, housing strategies prioritize reducing sprawl, encouraging infill, and addressing

social needs through a balanced mix of marketrate and affordable housing that supports existing social fabrics. This framework embraces breathing new life into the existing industrial fabric through social spaces, residential uses, and makerspaces. TramCamp serves as the central spine of the reimagined district, linking local neighborhoods to each other and connecting the district to the region as a whole.

Together, these strategies position the district to adapt and grow as a connected, resilient, and inclusive part of the region.

FRAMEWORK 02

INTRODUCTION

Framework 02 outlines a regional and local strategy for unifying Camp de Tarragona through community-oriented mobility, public space, environmental resilience, and innovative economic opportunities. The framework responds to fragmented transportation systems, climate

vulnerability, and industrial land use patterns that currently limit social, ecological, and economic connectivity across the region. Grounded in research, field observation, and stakeholder discussions, the framework establishes a cohesive vision for regional growth and neighborhood revitalization.

JADWIGA PARKER

IXCHEL RAMIREZ

CHLOE RICHARDS

ANDREA WU

PRINCIPLES

Principals are pulled from analysis and conversations. They are grounded by guiding questions which

provide a lens and point of reference for the proposed framework to reflect back on.

KEY ANALYSIS

The three cities of Camp de Tarragona possess distinct yet disconnected urban identities, and limited transit options between them, which reinforce automobile dependence, resulting in a combined 128.307 registered vehicles and 68.778 intercity trips. Extensive farmland and petrochemical complexes frame urban development, creating physical, environmental, and economic barriers between communities while constraining opportunities for shared growth. Additionally, approximately 17,5 million square meters of land is at risk of flooding, underscoring the need to align future residential and commercial development with climate adaptation strategies that prioritize ecological protection and long-term property resilience. These regional challenges reveal the importance of coordinated land-use, mobility, and

environmental planning to strengthen connectivity across municipal boundaries.

At the local scale, fragmented residential neighborhoods adjacent to industrial areas present opportunities to leverage TramCamp’s new infrastructure to invest in public spaces that connect communities, diversify economic activity, and reorient industrial zones toward peoplecentered, resilient design. The local plan accounts for existing infrastructure conditions, including above-grade highways and freight rail lines that currently segment neighborhoods, and explores how these systems can remain functional while reducing their divisive impacts. By introducing new pedestrian-oriented mobility pathways and publicspace connections, the plan transforms barriers into linkages to support neighborhood cohesion.

REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

This regional framework synthesizes mobility, land use, environmental systems, and urban form to guide a coordinated development plan for Camp de Tarragona. Anchored by TramCamp, it uses a 15-minute walkshed from the tram’s proposed stations as a common spatial lens to align transit access with everyday life, ecological assets, and public space. Within this walkshed, industrial land use and housing density are analyzed together to reveal how employment and residential patterns shape movement along the corridor and where

underutilized areas around TramCamp stations would present development opportunities.

Layering green space distribution, flood risk, and public space typologies identifies where to strengthen connectivity, shape resilient landscapes, and expand public life. Its composite regional framework balances growth and protection while integrating housing and industry with transit, reinforcing individual city identities while uniting the region through a shared vision.

Proposed Rail Lines

The proposed rail links the three cities. In Tarragona, TramCamp frames the urban core, with one portion extending toward the shoreline, this reinforces connections between the city center and the coast. In Reus, the tram line encircles the urban core to support regional commute patterns. Beginning in Salou, the tram follows the coastline, highlighting the city’s beautiful beaches.

15-Minute Walkshed

We used a 15-minute walkshed as our unit of analysis to support the formation of transit-oriented neighborhoods. This approach assumes that daily needs should be accessible within a short walk, prioritizing walkability and public transit as key drivers of the design process.

Industrial Use

We first mapped existing industrial land use within the 15-minute walkshed to study the region’s productive structure along the corridor. We then calculated the proportion of industrial land within each station area to assess how production relates to transit access and where industrial uses play a dominant role in shaping the area’s movement and employment.

Housing Density

Within the same 15-minute walkshed, we categorized housing into three typologies: high-density urban blocks (pink), low-density suburban housing (yellow), and rural settlements (orange). We calculated the share of each housing type around every station to identify existing patterns of urban concentration and areas with potential for future densification.

Development Framework Approach

We identified potential development zones by comparing housing density and industrial land use, particularly around stations, characterized by loose urban fabric and underutilized land. These areas provide opportunities for future intervention, where transit accessibility can be leveraged to more closely integrate housing, employment, and daily mobility along the TramCamp corridor.

Public Space Typologies

Public spaces exist across Camp de Tarragona in six distinct typologies: park, plaza, boulevard, monument, beach, and green space. Parks are defined as formally-established and actively-upkept green space, while plazas are hardscaped openings

in the urban fabric. Boulevards provide dedicated pedestrian pathways, monuments entail public space predominantly serving their visitors, beaches are open-access beachfront, and green space is vacant or otherwise under-utilized land.

Tarragona’s long history is reflected by its mix of all public space typologies across centuries of development. Reus is a dense city with a medieval core and newer development along the periphery to the west and south, maintaining a mix of plazas and pedestrian boulevards, one park, and green space.

Salou, as a privatized resort destination, provides a beach and public space tied to monuments (i.e. attractions) while vacant green space dots the outskirts. Vila-seca, a smaller municipality, provides parks, public plazas, and vacant green space.

Green Space

We calculated the proportion of green to non-green space within each 15-minute walkshed to understand the distribution of open space in the region. Higher concentrations of green space are found in West and South Tarragona, North Salou, and South Reus. These patterns reveal ecological assets and opportunities to better integrate green systems into future development.

Public Space Framework Approach

Development zones were defined by examining how these factors intersected spatially. Our strategy for Salou and Reus emphasizes the introduction of smaller, distributed public spaces in areas with higher proportions of green space. In contrast, our approach in Tarragona focuses on linking existing areas of high green space to form continuous and accessible public networks.

Flood Approach

Flooding represents a regional environmental condition that extends beyond the limits of the 15-minute walkshed. While flood zones were mapped at a broader scale, the walkshed was used to assess which properties and populations are most exposed, helping to identify where impacts are concentrated and where mitigation should be prioritized.

COMPOSITE REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

We identified key development zones, including a network of small public spaces, and a designated flood protection zone within Tarragona. These development zones respond to existing housing density and industrial land use, addressing how to reimagine industry. Select areas beyond the three cities were also included to reflect the regional industrial landscape. Small public spaces are distributed throughout these zones to reinforce existing assets through a targeted, incremental approach rather than large-scale redevelopment. Given the plan’s structure, focus areas are located along the urban edges, where growth pressures,

infrastructure, and environmental risks converge, rather than within the established urban cores.

Together, these interventions advance our four principles of enhancing connectivity, expanding public space, shaping resilient landscapes, and reimagining the industrial network. Through focusing on transitional areas between cities, industry, and landscapes, this framework supports adaptive growth while improving everyday mobility. A flexible, scalable strategy emerges from this approach that strengthens local character and fosters a more cohesive regional identity.

STATION AREA FRAMEWORK

Significant infrastructure investments across the region create a major opportunity for development around the new central station in Tarragona. This proposal involves integrating TramCamp, intercity rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail in a single location. As a result, the station must respond to the needs of diverse populations moving through it while shaping meaningful relationships with the surrounding urban fabric. Simultaneously, the site sits at the nexus of varied structural conditions: proximity to the flood-prone Francolí River, an above-grade highway, fragmented neighborhoods, and an industrial district primed for change. These

overlapping dynamics present both constraints and opportunities for redevelopment. Through focused fieldwork and desk-based research, we conducted a targeted analysis to understand how mobility, land use, and environmental risk interact at this location. This analysis informed a station-area framework that addresses connectivity, resilience, and urban integration, while remaining grounded in the regional framework and city context.

The presence of plazas informed notable arteries within the site. Highways also cut through the site, most notably A-27, which is elevated and serves as the dominant access road for freight to the Port of Tarragona.

Land uses within the site are predominantly industrial with some agricultural parcels in the north, while existing residential land is clustered within Torreforta. Significant flood risk on the eastern half of the site directly impacts development.

Existing arterial pathways were extended along their orientation to define a new grid, while new bridges increase access across the Francolí. The industrial footprint will be reduced and new mixeduse commercial added to maintain jobs. Agriculture

remains in the north with residential extending from Torreforta and clustering around TramCamp. An ecological overlay east of A-27 responds to flood risk.

Public Space Typologies

Public space typologies observed within Tarragona further drove the proposed station area design. Tarragona is home to a mix of all typologies (park, plaza, boulevard, monument, beach, and green space), though the prevalence of plazas in particular as small-scale open spaces accessible to the public shines through by their variety and frequency.

This typology carries over into Torreforta and informed the approach to mobility and open space highlighted by the framework layers above. Within the fine-grained, irregular urban fabric as observed and extended, these openings provide space for recreation and new connections to accompany continued local and regional development.

Public Space Network

Guided by our framework, we developed a public space network structured around green spines and loops that extend across the station area and into Torreforta. By linking existing and proposed parks, green spaces, and open areas, this network connects neighborhoods and TramCamp stations, creating a continuous and accessible public realm across the city.

COMPOSITE FRAMEWORK

public space typologies.

The final Composite Framework promotes a design responsive to barriers, boundaries, and edges presented by the natural landscape and physical transit infrastructure. It is contextualized to the inherited and surrounding urban fabric and adaptive to the needs of people and the local economy, while still weighing environmental risks.

CHARACTER ZONES

Based on the Composite Framework, we defined four character zones along the TramCamp corridor, each with a distinct role and spatial identity. These zones reflect variations in urban form, activity, and movement across the region. Rather than functioning as single-use areas, each zone exhibits a mixed-use character shaped by its local context and relationship to mobility and transit access.

Zone 01 Ribes del Francolí

The first zone is Ribes de Francolí, an area which highlights green buffer and mixed developments. Ribes de Francolí sits along the riverfront and is envisioned as a mixed-use ecological district that carefully balances development with landscape. Select commercial and mixed-use programs are integrated within a network of green buffer spaces that mitigate flooding, enhance ecological performance, and provide accessible public areas along the river. The agricultural district along the northern edge functions as a transitional landscape between the urban fabric and surrounding farmlands, reinforcing flood management while supporting ecological connectivity and softer urban edges.

This design approach is informed by Bilbao’s Waterfront Transformation in Spain. The project shows how green infrastructure and mobility systems can shape a resilient and active urban waterfront.97 By layering public spaces, circulation networks, and ecological systems all together on the urban form, this precedent demonstrates how riverfront development can link public life, commerce, and landscape together within the urban area, offering a transferable model for shaping productive and resilient edges along the TramCamp corridor.

Zone 02 Innovation District

Our Zone 2 is the Innovation district, serving as an adaptive industrial hub. The Innovation District reimagines the existing industrial belt as an adaptive corridor that supports innovationdriven employment, flexible production, and mixed commercial activity. Rather than replacing industrial functions, the district builds on existing structures and infrastructures to accommodate new forms of work, creative industries, and emerging technologies. Public spaces and improved connectivity are introduced to support everyday use, encourage interaction, and integrate the district more closely with surrounding neighborhoods and the TramCamp network.

This approach draws from Barcelona’s 22@ Innovation District, which demonstrates how former industrial areas can evolve into diverse urban economies through phased adaptation and mixeduse development.99 100 By combining innovation corridors, public spaces, and residential and commercial programs, the precedent shows how work and daily life can coexist within a productive urban environment. Applied along the TramCamp corridor, this model supports a resilient transition from multi-functional industry toward a more flexible and integrated urban district.

Zone 03 Central South District

Zone 3 is the Central South District, an area focusing on mixed-use urban core. Located around the central station, the Central South District is envisioned as a transit-oriented, mixed-use core that concentrates activity and urban life along the TramCamp corridor. The district supports a mix of commercial, civic, and residential programs, structured around a walkable street network and a series of connected public spaces. Small pockets of greenery are integrated throughout the area to soften the urban environment and provide spaces for everyday gathering, reinforcing the station’s role as both a mobility hub and a local center.

Inspired by London’s King’s Cross Masterplan, this zone reimagines the station area as an active civic realm and public destination.102 This precedent demonstrates how continuous public plazas, strong pedestrian connections, and a mix of uses can transform infrastructure-heavy areas into vibrant urban places. Here, this approach positions the central station as a focal point where movement, public life, and mixed-use development come together.

Zone 04 Riu Clar

Our Zone 4 is Riu Clar, a residential neighborhood within the station area boundary. Riu Clar is located to the east of Torreforta and retains its existing neighborhood name and identity, while being re-envisioned as a residential-focused district structured around TramCamp. The zone prioritizes a walkable, community-oriented urban form, characterized by shared courtyards, local streets, and continuous green corridors that link housing clusters directly to transit stops. This approach supports daily needs within a comfortable walking distance while strengthening connections between homes, open space, and mobility infrastructure.

This zone draws inspiration from the Vauban District in Freiburg, a leading example of transit-oriented residential development. Vauban demonstrates how compact housing, community streets, and integrated green infrastructure can reduce car dependence while enhancing social interaction and ecological performance.104 Applied to Riu Clar, this precedent informs a neighborhood model where transit access, environmental design, and everyday life are closely integrated along the TramCamp corridor.

CONCEPT COLLAGE

The concept collages (Fig. 122 & Fig. 123) show the potential characteristics of the station area proposed by this framework. Relating to the goal of shaping resilient landscapes, the key moments of these collages include the relationship between the built environment and the Francolí River as well as the integration of plants and animals into the urban

form. Fig. 122 shows the dense urban fabric imaged for new development around the region. There is also a focus on lively public spaces in these collages. Fig. 122 shows a public space typology more typical of a greenway or rail trail, while Fig. 123 focuses on an urban typology of public space characterized by a plaza and market.

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, & NEXT STEPS

This framework proposes using the principles of “Foster Connectivity,” “Enliven Public Space,” “Shape Resilient Landscapes,” and “Reimage the Industrial Network” to plan a successful future at both the regional and local level.

At the regional level, the framework recommends using TramCamp as a driver of new development. New development should include contextuallyadapted, small-scale public space interventions and climate-resilient design at flood zones. Furthermore, development should be directed

towards densification and reuse across the region.

At the local level the framework recommends creating mixed-use districts that are supported by small-scale public spaces. Flood zones should also implement climate-resilient overlays and clean industrial and commercial uses should be implemented in the economic core.

Moving forward, following these recommendations will help plan for a more connected, lively, resilient, and prosperous region.

FRAMEWORK 03

INTRODUCTION

Framework 03 introduces a regional focus that prioritizes the management of water. Riverine and coastal floods are happening more frequently in Camp de Tarragona. Flooding and sea level rise are changing land use, connectivity, and how the region is planning for new development. Instead of seeing environmental risk as a barrier, this framework redefines water as a guiding force that influences urban layout, infrastructure, and public spaces.

At the regional level we identify where hydrological systems connect with mobility routes settlements

and ecological networks. By aligning flood behavior with the TramCamp corridor, Framework 03 expands the role of transportation infrastructure to act as a resilience tool, serving as a landscape capable of absorbing, slowing, and redirecting water. Rivers, coastlines, and watersheds are viewed as continuous systems that cross jurisdictions and need integrated spatial responses.

ETHAN MILLER

HENRY SYWULAK-HERR

JEFFERY TSENG

Our approach for the station area centers the idea of living with water, shown through multifunctional landscapes such as sponge systems, green corridors, and adaptable open spaces. These approaches turn risk-prone areas into places of coexistence, linking ecological health, connectivity, and daily urban life. From this perspective, water becomes a dynamic force that shapes a more resilient, interconnected, and flexible urban fabric.

PRINCIPLES

Equity

Ensure that stormwater management projects simultaneously increase access to public open and green space for residents across the region.

Sustainability

Prioritize the use of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to encourage natural infiltration and retention and limit the need for grey stormwater infrastructure.

Resilience

Plan for and prioritize the long-term vitality of the region by implementing features to combat flood risk within the built environment.

Connectivity

Any measures taken within this framework will be integrated with TramCamp and positively impact pedestrian accessibility throughout the region.

KEY ANALYSIS

Vision Statement

Camp de Tarragona faces a future shaped by water. Our adaptive framework transforms this challenge into a design opportunity – interlacing ecological restoration and mobility infrastructure to form a resilient and connected urban fabric that celebrates coexistence between environmental systems, urban form, and climate change.

Key analysis to support this goal considers various sources of concern for flooding, namely riverine and coastal sources, as well as the landscape of transportation and residential development, both present and future, that will be impacted by such flooding events.

Riverine Flooding

Camp de Tarragona’s rivers remain dry for much of the year but exhibit flash-flooding behavior during heavy rain events. The 100-year and 500-year floodplains reveal several areas of concern in Cambrils and along the Francolí River in Tarragona. Many of these rivers already have retaining walls or flood buffer zones, but riverine flooding remains a significant concern.

Coastal Flooding

Areas at the greatest risk of coastal flooding within the next 50 years for the region were identified as any coastal-adjacent area at or below 10m in elevation as calculated from a regional Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Most of Salou, the Port of Tarragona, and industrial land along the Francolí River is at risk of inundation.

Land Use Loss due to Flooding

Land use categories at an elevated risk of flooding within the next 50 years were determined based on riverine and coastal floodplains. Loss of land is greatest for agricultural and industrial land, indicating a significant threat to the economic engines of the region in the near future.

Rail Transportation

The area of most concern for the rail transportation network lies at the proposed intermodal station in Tarragona, which falls within the 500-year floodplain. Many stops along the proposed TramCamp right of way in Salou and Cambrils also are at higher risk of coastal inundation.

Residential Development

The city of Tarragona has identified numerous parcels slated for residential development in the coming decades that lie within the 100- or 500-year riverine floodplains or within low-lying areas. This poses a challenge as the region seeks to expand housing capacity, requiring additional measures to mitigate flood risk for future residents.

While the coastal edge of Camp de Tarragona faces long-term risks from sea level rise, our focus turns inland to the Francolí River and its watershed. The Francolí is a flashy river system, remaining dry or with very low flow for much of the year but responding rapidly during periods of intense rainfall, producing sudden and powerful runoff events. Flood-prone zones extend along the Francolí valley from the inland hills near Reus and La Selva del Camp all the way down to the Tarragona port, where fluvial and coastal flooding overlap. Because these flood events are driven by shortduration, high-intensity storms, our regional framework looks at how the watershed can be adapted to retain, slow, and filter water upstream, managing the flow before it reaches the city and the port.

In other words, we treat the Francolí not as a continuous watercourse, but as a dynamic stormwater landscape that activates during rainfall events. Upstream interventions such as retention landscapes and stormwater parks can mitigate flash flood dynamics while restoring ecological connectivity across the watershed and along the river (Fig. 134).

REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

Our regional framework draws on an analysis of environmental risks, land use, and transit accessibility. Flood mapping and a study of land uses within 1km of proposed TramCamp stations reveal that dense residential and industrial growth often occurs in floodprone areas, while recreational and open spaces accessible near transit corridors are limited.111

To address these conditions, the framework introduces spongebased environmental strategies. Large sponges manage flood risk at the regional scale, small sponges absorb water within dense neighborhoods, and green corridors connect these systems along transit routes. Together, these measures reduce environmental risk while adding recreational space and community assets.

1km Tram Camp Land Use Analysis

This analysis evaluates land use within a 1 km walking radius around TramCamp stations. The area primarily consists of residential and industrial zones, indicating significant development pressure near transit. Notably, urban recreation and open space are limited, emphasizing a gap in community-serving infrastructure within high-density, transitaccessible neighborhoods.

Large Sponges

Large sponge systems are located along river corridors, floodplains, and coastal lowlands where water tends to gather the most. These landscapes absorb, store, and slow stormwater during extreme events, helping to lessen flood risks downstream. When not in floods, they function as regional parks and ecological assets, increasing recreational areas and supporting biodiversity.

Small Sponges

Small sponge interventions are incorporated into dense residential and station-area settings. Features like rain gardens, retention lawns, and permeable plazas absorb water on-site, decreasing surface runoff before it reaches larger systems. These spaces also provide everyday neighborhood green areas, improving microclimate and livability.

Green Corridors

Green corridors connect large and small sponge systems along mobility and water routes, often aligned with the TramCamp corridor. They serve as seamless ecological and pedestrian networks, promoting water flow, enhancing connectivity, and linking residential areas to open spaces. These corridors turn transit infrastructure into lively, climatefriendly public spaces.

COMPOSITE REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

Our Composite Regional Framework is organized around “the Stitch,” where horizontal corridors of mobility and housing intersect with vertical corridors of flooding and water drainage. TramCamp acts as a horizontal spine connecting residential areas, sponge landscapes, and public spaces while rivers and tributaries cross the tram, creating moments of pause that provide an opportunity for adaptation. These pauses are designed as green, sponge-based spaces that absorb water while also providing places for people to slow down, gather, and reconnect, turning areas of environmental risk into active, multifunctional landscapes.

STATION AREA FRAMEWORK

Water Flow

Although the Francolí River runs along the southern edge, most stormwater runoff from the city and the industrial zones flows directly adjacent to it, along the freight highway north-south connection to the port. Currently, these flows are fast and unfiltered, cutting across impermeable surfaces with little capacity for absorption.

Sponge Nodes

A network of primary and secondary sponge nodes act as storage basins during heavy rain events. These nodes create a distributed water management system that reduces the velocity and volume of water through the station area. Primary nodes are placed where flow consolidates while secondary nodes are more widely distributed.

Road & Connectivity

Mobility and ecology are an integrated system. Vehicular routes as well as pedestrian and local circulation become part of the green network through use of permeable paving, rain gardens, and bioswales that guide runoff into adjacent sponge nodes or absorb runoff themselves.

COMPOSITE FRAMEWORK

Sponge nodes are connected through a continuous green network which functions as both an ecological corridor and a public realm system, guiding water flow during heavy rain events while remaining dry and accessible for most of the year. This green network weaves between and along existing roads and industrial parcels within the station area, restitching fragmented open spaces and introducing new pedestrian and ecological corridors. It also forms the structural backbone for future development where we envision a landscapefirst framework that organizes how people and water move through the site.

By layering the water flow and the green corridor network, we can see how the system functions as a whole. Water enters from the north, moves along green corridors, and filters through the sponge nodes before gradually releasing into the Francolí River and toward the port. Our goal is to slow that flow, and reintroducing natural drainage patterns that help daylight water will help reconnect upstream runoff back into the Francolí in a controlled manner. This sets the foundation for how we start to position new green infrastructure across the site, creating a resilient, adaptive framework that reduces flood risk while enhancing urban ecology and access to open space.

CHARACTER ZONES

Building from this Composite Framework, we developed a set of character zones to take advantage of the existing built environment and transforming it into a mixed-use central district for the city of Tarragona.

Operating under the assumption that industry will remain in some capacity in the southern portion of the station area, we envision these southern quadrants adopting a mixture of commercial (purple) and residential (pink) development concentrated along green corridors. Building typologies would range from multistory buildings with ground-floor commercial development and housing above to adaptive reuse of existing industrial buildings for

use as indoor markets, entertainment venues, or other similar uses.

On the northern edge will be a quadrant devoted to additional green space (green) to address the threat of flash flooding from the Francolí River, which could take the form of a public park or development with extensive green stormwater infrastructure. Running south from the edge of Torreforta would be a commercial mixed-use zone along the A-27 highway, opening a corridor poised take advantage of the proposed Central Station and its optimal location within the station area to become a hub of activity.

CONCEPT COLLAGE

The concept collage (Fig. 142) illustrates the spatial character and experiential qualities envisioned through the Hydrologic Urbanism framework. At its core is a renewed relationship between the Francolí River and the urban edge, where restored wetlands, riparian planting, and multi-use paths interface with adjacent buildings and mobility infrastructure. The collage shows how hydrologic systems can become defining public-realm assets, bringing water, vegetation, and wildlife into daily urban life.

A key feature is the floodable amphitheater, functioning both as a climate-adaptive landscape element and as a contemporary nod to Tarragona’s Roman heritage. Its terraced form evokes historic amphitheaters while accommodating seasonal inundation, serving as a civic space in dry periods and a resilient storm-water basin during high-flow events.

Surrounding greenspaces are likewise designed to be floodable, operating as flexible, climate-resilient systems that support native biology and enhance ecological connectivity. These landscapes provide habitat while remaining accessible public amenities.

This collage also underscores this framework’s ambition to create a nexus between walkability, housing, mixed-use development, and ecology. Pedestrian promenades, cycling routes, and public spaces align with hydrologic corridors, producing a development pattern where mobility, habitat, and urban form reinforce one another.

Together, these elements envision a district where hydrology, public life, and development intensity are intentionally interwoven to create a resilient and walkable future for the station area.

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, & NEXT STEPS

This framework deliberately centers the need for Camp de Tarragona to consider the long-term impacts of climate change when considering future development along its many riverbanks and coastal areas. Our Composite Regional Framework takes into consideration the potential for new transportation and housing. At the level of the station area, this framework will be harnessed to

generate an integrated fabric of green stormwater infrastructure that guides the urban form. In Phase 03 of this studio, Projects 06 and 07 will operate within this framework to explore the station area’s relationship with water further and develop ideas for how existing infrastructure can be transformed to better manage flood risk and create enjoyable spaces for residents.

PHASE 03 Project Exploration

DESCRIPTION

Phase 03

Building off the emerging station area frameworks developed during Phase 02, the students – working individual or in pairs – identified key questions or issues to be explored and further developed within the context of their regional and station area framework plans.

Through this exercise, the students dove down in scale and specificity into a key aspect of the plan and, through this exercise, interrogate and push forward the development of the urban design potential of the concepts put forward by their Frameworks in Phase 02.

Through this exercise, the studio collectively explored and illustrated the potential of their framework approaches with a range focus, identified by the students. The focuses of these projects include: the refinement of mobility networks and streetscapes design; the integration of blue green infrastructure strategies with public space; the mitigation of highway infrastructure and its integration with community public space; the development of a methodology for assessing housing opportunities; the delineation of a proposed housing policy; and the development of a plan for animating public space through a variety of day- to-day and seasonal cultural events to better integrate new development into the life of the surrounding communities.

Project 01

VÍa Verde de Tarragona

Project 03

Data-Driven Housing Policy

Project 05

Permeable Patterns

Project 02 Street Network Redesign

Project 04 Where Tarragona Lives and Celebrates

Project 07

Regenerating a Community Through Waterway Restoration

Project 06 Hydrologic Urbanism

01 VÍA VERDE DE TARRAGONA

This project is for the construction of a regional greenway network, known in Spanish as a vía verde, that runs parallel to the future TramCamp light rail line as part of the Healthy City Framework (Framework 01) developed in Phase 02. The right of way along the TramCamp route will be dug up for the light rail construction, which presents an opportunity to rethink street design to introduce

active mobility and vegetation along its path. We propose that the greenway would follow TramCamp in Cambrils by using the former right of way of the commuter rail line, deviate from the tram north of Vila-Seca and into Reus for a quieter and more scenic experience, and then reunite with the tram in La Canonja and Tarragona, requiring conversion of portions of the roadway.

IXCHEL RAMIREZ

JASMINE WALLACK

There are four primary goals of the Vía Verde de Tarragona. First, to increase access to public green space by creating a linear trail for active recreation and linking existing public spaces. Second, to create safe, accessible, and sustainable multimodal transportation options by ensuring the trail is equipped for pedestrians, cyclists and other forms of play and leisure as well as providing an easy multimodal connection with the tram. Third, to connect and elevate existing regional assets including parks, agriculture, and urban centers.

Fourth, to foster economic growth by creating a more welcoming and attractive green corridor and encouraging ecotourism.

The following sections will correspond to four “moments” along the greenway that represent the primary typologies of corridor environments that would need to be addressed by the trail design. These typologies are a center city area, an autooriented corridor, a location where rear building facades face the trail, and a rural farmland area.

TARRAGONA: CENTER CITY

Center City Existing Conditions

The first moment is in Tarragona’s center city. Fig. 148 shows the section is relatively narrow (29m), but still prioritizes cars over pedestrians by including onstreet parking on both sides of the street, indicated in red. There is a small attempt at including vegetation with small shrubs in the median, but this does little to improve flood resilience or mitigate urban heat. There is an existing bike lane, shown in blue, which demonstrates potential for multimodal connectivity in the area.

Proposal for Center City Tarragona

This street redesign draws inspiration from Florida Street in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Fig. 150). Florida integrates

3) Bike infrastructure

2) Auto-oriented median

an at-grade tram with a pedestrian median and continuous tree canopy, to create an active public near the city center. To apply these elements in Tarragona, the road width would remain unchanged, but space is reallocated to prioritize people-oriented movement. Medians would be enhanced with trees, benches, and clear crossings to invite pedestrians to enjoy the outdoors for social gatherings and outdoor recreation in addition to providing a comfortable area to wait for the tram. This design would increase foot traffic for local businesses, strengthen neighborhood social life, and expand access to high-quality public space within the city center.

STATION AREA: AUTO-ORIENTED

Station Area Existing Conditions

The second moment is located close to the proposed future intermodal station. It is currently an industrial/light industrial area. The wide roadway, street-facing parking lots, lack of tree canopy, and large quantity of impervious surfaces create an unwelcoming environment for pedestrians and cyclists and contribute to urban heat and flood risk.

Proposal for the Station Area

We took inspiration for the Station Area from the mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented Glòries neighborhood in Barcelona. To redesign the Station Area, we propose removing two traffic lanes, the painted roadway buffers, and on-street parking. This

would create space for the tram lanes that would buffer the greenway with a bike lane and multiuse path. To create a more attractive and climateresilient corridor within the new central station district, there would be vegetation incorporated with green tram tracks and buffers with trees and other vegetation. There would also be more sidewalk space and a wider frontage zone for ground-floor commercial businesses to activate the streetscape. It is important to note that the guidance for sidewalk and frontage zones are suggestions that can be wider in areas with large existing setbacks (such as this example with off-street parking), and narrower in places with smaller setbacks.

Existing section drawing, Station Area Auto-Oriented.

Proposed section drawing, Station Area Auto-Oriented.

SALOU: REAR BUILDING FAÇADES

Salou Existing Conditions

The third moment is located at a junction where the tram will eventually cross one of the downtown streets in Salou. Although the area has an attractive, human-scale streetscape, the tram/trail would have rear building facades facing them. There is also a dead-end street on one side of the tracks. The nearby former rail station (unused) and a playground are under-utilized assets.

Proposal for Salou

In Salou, we propose protecting the greenway by buffering it on one side with a transit shelter for the tram and converting the dead-end street to a pedestrian plaza on the other side. The tram tracks would be next to each other in this moment, creating more space for a lively pedestrian experience.

VILA-SECA: FARMLAND

2)New Trail

Vila-seca Farmland Existing Conditions

Currently, agriculture is spatially segregated from urban areas in Camp de Tarragona, despite the region’s heritage as a major producer of wine, olives, and dried fruit. To provide a more scenic route and opportunity for trail users to engage with the agricultural landscape, we propose diverging from the tram route into Vila-seca’s farmland. Fig. 165 highlights active farmland in green and narrow existing road width (5,5 meters), with the proposed route in orange. The design helps preserve established access patterns for without taking away much productive farmland by following existing roads.

Proposal for Vila-seca Farmland

The trail design in Vila-seca is inspired by the Vía Verde del Aceite (Fig. 167), or Olive Oil Trail, a

128km rail trail in Andalusia that demonstrates how greenways can be used to sustainably encourage ecotourism and active recreation.112 The trail meanders through olive country with several stations along the way. Trail guides suggest stops at local farms, restaurants, and businesses related to the agricultural industry.113 To apply these strategies, we propose widening the trail to 16,5 meters, to accommodate a vehicular drive lane, a bike lane, and a multi-use path. The roadway expansion brings trees closer to trail users, enhancing shade coverage. Street furniture and wayfinding signage creates a welcoming and comfortable environment for people of all ages and ranges of mobility. This design encourages trail users to connect with Camp de Tarragona’s local food systems through the experience of being immersed in farmland.

IMPLEMENTATION

Options for safe & helathy active transportation

Key Principles

Links to existing assets

More multi-modal connections

Climate Resilient Infrastructure

Street Activation Adjacent to Trails

For each trail moment, there are several design principles that should be prioritized. These include options for safe and healthy active transportation like walking, jogging, and cycling; links to existing assets such as public spaces and agriculture; opportunities for multimodal connections between TramCamp and active modes; climate-resilient infrastructure like added vegetation; and street activation adjacent to trails using street lighting, outdoor dining, and street furniture.

Vías Verdes Program Overview

The Vías Verdes program was started in 1993 by the Spanish Railways Foundation (FSP) and Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and the Environment.114 Creating these trails requires intensive multistakeholder collaboration (see Fig. 172) in which FSP plays a lead role, but local municipalities drive the implementation process and are responsible for trail maintenance, stewardship, and promotion. To support ease of implementation, FSP created a guide of best practices for maintenance that is publicly available and highlights the importance of publicprivate partnerships, active citizen participation, and coordination with other existing greenways.115 Renfe, Feve, and Adif railways have all played key roles in the process by providing the land for trails through long term lease agreements and in some cases donating former station buildings.116 Funding

for these projects comes from the European Union, national ministries, municipalities, philanthropy, and private donations. Advocacy also plays a critical role, since without the willpower of cycling groups, environmentalists, and heritage advocates, these trails could not be realized.

Vías Verdes has enjoyed massive success since it began. The program has invested €275 million to construct 135 rail trails totaling 3.500km.117 It has

also converted 125 former rail stations into trailside visitors centers, museums, cafes, and hotels.118

These investments create local green jobs that are particularly valuable in rural areas and have bolstered Spain’s ecotourism economy by making it a top destination for cyclists and other adventure seekers.

The Vía Verde de Tarragona is well-positioned to be an excellent addition to Spain’s trail network and would transform it into a more accessible, equitable, and sustainable region for everyone.

02 STREET NETWORK REDESIGN

Fig.174 Existing arterial street condition within the station area, characterized by oversized vehicular lanes, limited pedestrian infrastructure, and mono-functional industrial frontage. The street prioritizes through-movement over local access, reinforcing car dependence and spatial fragmentation across the district.

Role of the Street Network in the Station Area

This street network redesign functions as the primary spatial mechanism through which mobility, public space, land use, and environmental performance are integrated at the station area scale. Rather than treating streets as residual infrastructure, this project reframes them as active public spaces that organize movement, structure development parcels, and shape everyday experiences.

At present, the station area is defined by wide roadways, industrial setbacks, and discontinuous pedestrian networks that privilege vehicular throughput over local accessibility. These conditions

KAVANA RAJU

limit walkability, constrain public life, and weaken the relationship between transit investment and surrounding urban fabric.

This project establishes the street network as the foundational framework for transformation. By rebalancing space across modes, introducing a clear street hierarchy, and embedding environmental performance into the right of way, this redesign sets the groundwork for a transit-oriented, humanscaled, and adaptable district. The interventions outlined in this section respond directly to existing spatial barriers while preparing the station area to support future growth.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Street Structure & Barriers

The existing street network is characterized by large industrial blocks, limited internal connectivity, and a reliance on perimeter arterials for movement. Streets within the site function primarily as service corridors rather than public spaces, resulting in long block lengths, poor legibility, and limited route choice for pedestrians and cyclists. The absence of a finegrained street network reinforces car dependence even for short, internal trips.

Vehicular infrastructure dominates the public right of way, while sidewalks are narrow, discontinuous, or absent in several segments. This configuration creates physical and perceptual barriers between adjacent neighborhoods, reinforcing the site’s role as a pass-through zone rather than a destination.

Existing Mobility Patterns

Current mobility patterns reveal inga strong dependence on private vehicles across age and gender groups, with public transport and active modes playing a secondary role. Bus routes primarily operate along regional corridors rather than serving internal circulation needs,

limiting their usefulness for short trips within the district. Pedestrian infrastructure is fragmented, and informal walking paths reflect unmet desire lines rather than planned connections.

These conditions disproportionately affect populations without access to private vehicles, including youth, older adults, and lower-income residents, reinforcing inequities in access to employment, services, and public space.

limiting their usefulness for short trips within the district. Pedestrian infrastructure is fragmented, and informal walking paths reflect unmet desire lines rather than planned connections.

These conditions disproportionately affect populations without access to private vehicles, including youth, older adults, and lower-income residents, reinforcing inequities in access to employment, services, and public space.

Environmental & Microclimatic Conditions

The dominance of paved surfaces and limited tree canopy contributes to elevated surface temperatures and poor thermal comfort, particularly along wide roadways. Lack of shade and minimal stormwater integration reduce the viability of walking and cycling during warmer months. Existing green spaces are disconnected from mobility corridors, limiting their effectiveness as both ecological and social infrastructure.

Together, these conditions produce a street network that prioritizes vehicular throughput over local access, comfort, and legibility. Fragmented pedestrian routes, limited multimodal connectivity, and environmental stressors reinforce car dependence while constraining everyday movement.

DESIGN & STRATEGY

The street network redesign translates the constraints identified in the existing conditions into a clear spatial strategy for movement, access, and public life. Oversized arterials, fragmented pedestrian routes, and limited north-south connectivity are treated as structuring problems rather than isolated deficiencies. These barriers inform a reorganization of the network into a legible hierarchy that separates regional movement from local circulation while improving continuity across the station area.

The strategy reframes streets as active public spaces that organize development, support multimodal access, and embed environmental performance into everyday movement. By redistributing right of way space to prioritize walking, cycling, and transit alongside local vehicular access, the design establishes a coherent framework for a transit oriented and human scaled district. This network logic guides subsequent design decisions, ensuring that mobility, land use, and public space operate as an integrated system rather than parallel layers.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The design development process progresses through a series of iterative steps that translate the initial network logic into a resolved street structure. Early diagrams focus on organizing primary and secondary connections in response to existing infrastructure, establishing a continuous eastwest framework while resolving breaks caused by highways and rail corridors. These moves define where continuity is essential and where circulation must turn inward to maintain access.

Subsequent iterations refine the network through adjustments to block dimensions, intersection spacing, and circulation patterns. Street alignments are tested alongside massing and public space diagrams to ensure that movement, access, and buildable parcels develop together. Through this sequence, the street network evolves from a conceptual structure into a coordinated system that supports transit access, local circulation, and future development within the station area.

STRUCTURING THE STREET NETWORK

The street network is structured as the primary spatial framework through which movement, access, land use, and public life are organized within the station area. Rather than treating streets as residual infrastructure, this approach positions the network as an active system that shapes block structure, development intensity, and everyday experience. The framework responds directly to existing barriers created by oversized roadways, fragmented internal connectivity, and monofunctional industrial parcels, while establishing a legible and adaptable structure for long-term growth.

Establishing Hierarchy & Spatial Order

A clear street hierarchy organizes the district into a readable and functional system. A primary eastwest corridor forms the backbone of the network, anchoring transit access and defining the strongest line of continuity across the site. This spine supports higher intensity uses and serves as the main organizing axis for development and public space. Secondary north-south connections extend from this corridor, linking surrounding neighborhoods, employment areas, and open spaces while reducing

block sizes and improving permeability. Community streets complete the network by prioritizing local access, slower movement, and finer-grain connectivity within residential and adaptive reuse areas. Together, these layers distribute movement across the district and prevent congestion along a single corridor.

Structuring Blocks & Development

The street framework directly informs block structure and parcel configuration. By introducing a finer-grain network, large industrial blocks are broken down into walkable dimensions that support incremental development and programmatic diversity. Block sizes vary according to street type, with tighter blocks along primary corridors and more flexible configurations toward the edges of the site. This structure allows development intensity to respond to access and visibility while maintaining continuity with existing infrastructure and rail alignments. The resulting block pattern supports phased development and accommodates a range of building types without sacrificing clarity or connectivity.

Aligning Land Use & Built Form

Land use distribution is aligned with the street hierarchy to reinforce activity patterns and access. Mixed-use and commercial programs are concentrated along primary corridors where transit access and visibility are highest. Residential areas transition away from these corridors and are supported by quieter community streets that prioritize comfort and safety. Adapted industrial areas remain integrated within the network, using the street framework to connect employment

spaces with surrounding neighborhoods rather than isolating them. Building footprints respond to this structure by reinforcing street edges, defining public space, and creating consistent relationships between buildings and the right of way.

Integrating Open Space & Public Realm

The street network also functions as a connective public realm system. Green spaces and linear open areas are embedded within the block structure and aligned with streets to support ecological performance, shade, and thermal comfort. Streets act as extensions of public space, linking parks, plazas, and internal courtyards into a continuous network that supports walking and cycling. This integration ensures that environmental systems are not treated as isolated amenities but as active components of everyday movement and social life.

Together, these strategies establish a coherent and legible street network that balances regional connectivity with local access. By structuring movement, development, and public space through a unified framework, the street network becomes the foundation for a transit oriented, human scaled, and resilient station area.

MULTIMODAL CIRCULATION STRATEGY

The multimodal circulation strategy organizes movement across the station area by clearly separating roles for transit, vehicles, cycling, and walking while maintaining continuity between modes. Transit is prioritized along the primary eastwest spine, which functions as the main corridor for future tram operations. This alignment ensures legible access to the station and anchors higherintensity activity along the most connected streets.

Vehicular circulation is redistributed across a limited number of primary and secondary routes to reduce through-traffic within residential and mixed-use

areas. Internal streets prioritize local access rather than regional movement, with one-way movement improving safety. Cycling routes are integrated through continuous corridors that parallel transit routes and extend north-south into surrounding neighborhoods.

Pedestrian movement is supported through direct connections between blocks, transit stops, and public spaces. Walking routes align with street hierarchy and open space systems to support direct, intuitive movement across the district.

STREET TYPOLOGIES

CONCLUSION

This project proposes a coordinated framework that aligns mobility, land use, public space, and environmental performance to guide long term transformation across the station area. By restructuring streets as active public spaces and organizing development around access and connectivity, the proposal shifts the district away

Street typologies translate the established street hierarchy into spatial form through three primary types: transit streets, secondary streets, and community streets. Transit streets accommodate public transport, cycling, and pedestrian movement while maintaining human scale through continuous tree planting and buffered sidewalks. These streets support active frontages and function as the most visible public spaces within the station area.

Secondary streets support local vehicular access alongside cycling and pedestrian movement with reduced lane widths and planted buffers improving safety and comfort. Community streets further slow movement and prioritize walking and neighborhood activity.

Together these three typologies support everyday movement and public life across the station area.

from car dependence toward a more legible and inclusive urban structure.

Through integrated network design, spatial hierarchy, and adaptable street typologies, this project demonstrates how transit investment can shape everyday movement, support economic transition, and improve environmental comfort.

03 DATA-DRIVEN HOUSING POLICY

OVERVIEW

Existing residential development in Tarragona is focused along urban corridors with good access to services and transit, a pattern reinforced by the POUM’s plan for housing growth near the TramCamp corridor. While this method promotes transit-oriented development, it mainly emphasizes accessibility and land availability without fully considering environmental risks. Overlaying housing locations with environmental danger shows major conflicts, as large parts of current and planned housing are in the 100- and 500-year

floodplains as well as low-lying areas vulnerable to sea-level rise. This increases the risks of damage, displacement, and higher costs for vulnerable residents. Meanwhile, housing pressures and capacity remain: 8,6% of households are rentburdened, 27% are single-person households, 16% of units are over 65 years old, and 12% are vacant. At the same time, there are approximately 89 hectares of developable land and a target of adding 15.000 units, demonstrating that the issue is not capacity but guiding development to safer, more resilient locations.

ANALYSIS

The main challenge is not just accommodating housing growth but deciding where growth is suitable and what form it should take under different environmental risks. Instead of relying on qualitative overlays or uniform policy standards, this project introduces a quantitative framework that converts various spatial conditions into comparable metrics. This change enables housing decisions to be based on relative risk and opportunity, rather than just proximity to infrastructure.

INDEX

• Combines environmental vulnerability and housing access in a 1-hectare grid framework.

• Translates complex spatial data into standardized, comparable scores (0–1).

• Identifies areas where environmental risk and housing opportunity intersect, enabling targeted, site-specific strategies.

Environmental Risk

The Environmental Risk Index evaluates areas based on their exposure to climate-related hazards. It combines flood risk (50%), impermeability (20%), and sea-level rise vulnerability (30%) to capture both immediate and long-term environmental stress (Fig. 192). Higher scores indicate locations where housing development faces greater physical risk and higher adaptation costs, informing where growth should be limited or modified.

Housing Opportunity

The Housing Opportunity Index measures where housing growth can be most effectively supported. It combines development capacity (50%) – including available land and redevelopment potential – with accessibility (50%), such as proximity to transit and services (Fig. 192). Higher scores identify areas where housing investment can leverage existing infrastructure and improve access while supporting more efficient, transit-oriented development.

From Spatial Conditions to Housing Strategy

This composite analysis combines the Environmental Risk Index and the Housing Opportunity Index on a consistent 1-hectare grid, translating complex spatial conditions into comparable scores from low to high opportunity. The resulting surface highlights sharp spatial differences across the study area, showing that housing suitability is uneven and heavily depends on both environmental exposure and access conditions.

The results indicate that areas with high housing opportunity often overlap with increased environmental risk, especially along river-adjacent and lowlying corridors, while lowerrisk areas do not always match high development capacity or accessibility. This mismatch confirms that housing decisions cannot be based solely on transit access or land availability.

By visualizing risk and opportunity together, the index pinpoints where growth can be safely focused, where adaptation is needed, and where development should be restricted (Fig. 193). These insights directly support the delineation of opportunity zones and enable targeted, locationspecific housing strategies rather than uniform planning controls.

DEVELOPMENT ZONES

Housing Opportunity

The framework organizes housing and development into three zones that respond to varying levels of environmental risk, infrastructure capacity, and access to transit.

Zone 1 (Fig. 194), the most climatesensitive areas, prioritizes low-rise, adaptive housing and ecological systems that reduce exposure to flooding while supporting longterm residents through careful retrofitting and limited new growth.

Zone 2 (Fig. 195) acts as a transitional band, accommodating moderate-density infill and mid-rise housing that bridges existing neighborhoods with new development, supported by flood-adapted ground floors and targeted upgrades to the existing housing stock.

Zone 3 (Fig. 196), centered around transit access, concentrates the highest densities and mixed-use development, aligning growth with mobility infrastructure and amenities while reducing pressure on more vulnerable areas. Together, the zones create a phased, resilient urban structure that balances development demand, environmental risk, and housing affordability.

POLICY

Resiliency Measures

Across all zones, resiliency is addressed through a combination of building-level adaptation and landscape-based environmental systems, calibrated to varying levels of risk. In climatesensitive areas, resilience prioritizes elevated ground floors, waterproof and modular construction, and maximum permeability through ecological parks, terraced landscapes, and nature-based drainage. Transitional areas balance architectural adaptation, such as flood-compatible ground floors and flexible program, with distributed green infrastructure including rain gardens, permeable streets, and rainwater harvesting. In transit-oriented zones, where environmental risk is lowest, resilience shifts toward district-scale systems, including underground stormwater detention, green and blue roofs, and integrated energy and water infrastructure that support higher density without increasing surface vulnerability.

Primary Populations

Each zone is designed to support distinct but overlapping populations, reflecting differences in risk tolerance, mobility needs, and household structure. Climate-sensitive zones prioritize longterm residents, multi-generational households, and larger families who value proximity to existing schools, civic institutions, and established social networks. Transitional zones primarily serve growing families, downsizers, and middleincome households seeking access to amenities and transit while remaining embedded in familiar neighborhoods. Transit-oriented zones are structured to accommodate more mobile populations, including students, singles, young families, and active seniors, all of whom benefit from proximity to transit, services, and employment.

Social Policies & Planning Tools

Social policy tools operate across zones but are tailored to local conditions and development intensity. In Zone 1, policies focus on right-toremain protections, publicly supported insurance mechanisms, and funding for home retrofits that reduce displacement driven by both climate risk and reinvestment pressures. Zone 2 relies more heavily on incentives and subsidies, encouraging infill development, façade and energy retrofits, and the integration of sustainable urban drainage systems within existing neighborhoods. In Zone 3, social policies emphasize affordability requirements in new development, mobility subsidies to reduce car dependence, and incentives for small businesses

and community-serving uses, ensuring that increased density translates into shared social and economic benefit.

Universal Principles

Across all zones, universal standards guide development toward equity, resilience, and livability. Mixed-income housing, climate-resilient and watersensitive design, transit-first mobility, and highperformance low-carbon buildings are applied consistently, ensuring that growth strengthens both environmental systems and neighborhood quality.

GOVERNANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

Governance and implementation unfold through a phased timeline that aligns policy, infrastructure, and development capacity while centering social stability and long-term affordability. Early stages focus on establishing inter-agency coordination, approving the zone framework, and completing technical studies related to hydrology, climate risk, and mobility. This foundational work ensures that environmental constraints and infrastructure needs are understood before development occurs.

With this groundwork in place, public investment is directed toward core infrastructure, including stormwater management systems, public realm networks, and transit improvements that support equitable access and climate resilience. Development then proceeds sequentially, beginning in transitoriented areas where environmental risk is lowest and infrastructure capacity is highest. These areas

act as catalysts, absorbing growth while reducing pressure on more vulnerable neighborhoods.

As development expands into transitional zones, planning tools emphasize infill, retrofitting, and incremental density increases that strengthen existing communities rather than displacing them. In climate-sensitive areas, development is carefully phased and limited, advancing only once regulatory, environmental, and social protections are fully in place. Throughout this process, governance frameworks prioritize right-to-remain policies, affordability requirements, and public-support mechanisms that ensure residents benefit from investment rather than being pushed out by it. Together, these social policies and planning tools ensure that growth follows resilience, infrastructure readiness, and social equity rather than market pressure alone.

04 WHERE TARRAGONA LIVES & CELEBRATES

Where Tarragona Lives and Celebrates explores how public space in Tarragona can support both everyday life and the city’s deeply rooted culture of celebration. Tarragona’s social and cultural life is shaped by year-round festivals, markets, performances, and traditions that operate across multiple scales, from regional events like Santa Tecla and the Human Towers to daily neighborhood activities. Through mapping existing events in space and time, this project recognizes celebration as a regional cultural system that depends on flexible, adaptable public spaces.

Building on this understanding, the project proposes a flexible public space framework that responds to different temporal needs throughout the year. Rather than designing spaces for a single use, the framework supports everyday routines, such as walking, sitting, dining, and recreation, while also allowing for temporary transformation during festivals and special events. By extending cultural activity beyond the historic core and into the station area, the proposal demonstrates how public spaces can accommodate both daily life and large-scale celebration, creating a resilient and dynamic public realm for Tarragona.

YAO CHEN

ANDREA WU

SOCIAL & CULTURAL LIFE

Regional Level Activities

We started by looking at social and cultural life at the regional scale. Fig. illustrates how major festivals in Tarragona operate beyond the city center and at a regional scale across three areas. Events such as Santa Tecla and the Human Towers generate seasonal movement patterns across the area, emphasizing the importance of flexible public spaces that can accommodate large gatherings.

Tarragona City Activities

Zooming into the city of Tarragona itself, we found that there is a wide range of activities that take place throughout the year and at different scales. This 2025 annual calendar shows that events are spread across almost every month, reflecting a constant cultural rhythm. Alongside these scheduled festivals, weekly and seasonal activities such as markets and nightlife continue to animate public life, reinforcing the need for public spaces that can support both daily use and temporary cultural events.

Tarragona Temporal Map

To understand the spatial patterns of existing activities, we mapped out when and where major cultural events take place across Tarragona throughout the year in a temporal map. It reveals clear patterns of concentration, with many festivals and large gatherings clustered in the historic urban core. This analysis highlights the uneven spatial distribution of events and helps identify areas where flexible public spaces are most needed. It also informs opportunities to extend cultural programming into the station area by designing spaces that can accommodate both everyday use and temporary festival activity.

Our Proposal

Based on these findings, we propose a flexible public space framework that responds to everyday life as well as seasonal and cultural activity in Tarragona. Rather than designing spaces for a single function, the framework supports daily routines while allowing for temporary transformation during festivals and special events. By extending cultural activity beyond the historic core and into the station area, the proposal creates a network of adaptable public spaces that can accommodate different scales, intensities, and temporal needs throughout the year.

STATION AREA FRAMEWORK

Framework

The project proposes a Green Corridor System that connects the station area to Tarragona’s city center, Salou, and Reus. It strengthens the existing large green open space as a public anchor and extends the corridor along TramCamp as a continuous green spine. Moving south, the corridor shifts into gentle diagonal alignments, creating a more dynamic and engaging spatial experience.

Land Use

Part of the existing industrial area is retained for light industry, preserving local employment and the site’s productive character. Mixed-use development is introduced along TramCamp and the surrounding blocks, with retail at ground level and offices or housing above to support active streets and everyday services. The northern yellow area is designated as the primary residential zone, providing housing in close proximity to green space, transit, and daily amenities

Building Typology & Scale

In the light-industrial zone, most existing building frameworks are retained to preserve the industrial character and allow for flexible use. Mixed-use areas use perimeter-block buildings to create active streets and walkable courtyards. Residential buildings follow the surrounding urban fabric, using smaller-scale blocks to match the neighborhood.

OVERALL STRATEGY

Everyday Public Life

Special Events & Festivals

The strategic goal is to create a hybrid public space system that can adapt over time, supporting both calm, everyday life and high-intensity celebrations. Spaces are programmed based on their size and location: larger green areas along the TramCamp axis and the waterfront near the city center host major festival events, while smaller neighborhood spaces

Our Goal

support daily uses such as children’s play, pocket parks, and community gatherings. A continuous carnival parade route links all major festival zones, activating the entire public-space network during celebration periods and keeping the station area active, inclusive, and culturally vibrant throughout the year.

PUBLIC REALM ACTIVATION

SMALL-SCALE SPECIAL EVENTS

Key Moment 1 is located along the commercial and industrial edge, where the scale is smaller but the potential for flexible programming is strong. Ground-floor commercial uses create opportunities for outdoor dining and everyday social activity, while a centrally located open space allows the area to accommodate small-scale events such as weekend

markets and seasonal activities like wine festivals (Fig. 210). Transitional public spaces help soften the industrial boundary, supporting a more welcoming environment. Together, these elements create a hybrid space that supports daily neighborhood life while adapting easily to temporary community events.

RIVERFRONT SIGHT VIEWING

Key Moment 2 is located at the riverfront, where large open spaces meet retained industrial structures (Fig. 214). This location allows the space to operate at a larger scale while remaining closely connected to both the landscape and the site’s industrial history (Fig. 215). In the proposed scenario, the open riverfront setting supports activities such

as fireworks, scenic viewing, and water-oriented events, making it a key destination during major festivals and celebrations. At the same time, the existing industrial buildings are preserved and adapted to frame public uses, providing structure, shelter, and flexibility without erasing the site’s original character.

LARGE-SCALE SPECIAL EVENTS

Key Moment 3 is located adjacent to the Central Station and is framed by TramCamp, making it one of the most accessible areas in the district. Its large scale and high connectivity make this location wellsuited to accommodate major special events and large-scale public gatherings, and functions as three zones (Fig. 220).

TramCamp cuts directly through the site and, together with the Central Station, cuts the space into distinct zones. The front portion is designed as a large, open public plaza. The middle zone becomes the district’s central garden, offering a greener and more recreational environment that balances the intensity of the plaza.

Along the residential edge, the public realm shifts toward a more community-oriented character, supporting everyday uses and creating a smoother transition between large-scale public activity and neighborhood life.

Public Plaza

The public plaza is designed as a flexible, transitoriented space that supports both everyday use and large-scale events. During normal conditions, it functions as an active civic space with outdoor seating, markets, and casual gathering areas that respond to the movement and energy of the adjacent station. Its open layout allows the plaza to accommodate performances, parades, and festival setups when needed, without disrupting daily activity. The plaza’s design enables different configurations. It can support daytime social use as a transition hub plaza, as well as evening and nighttime events such as carnivals and performances (Fig. 225 & Fig. 226).

Central Garden

The central garden functions as a quieter public space focused on greenery and everyday recreation. Positioned between more active zones, it provides an important counterbalance to the intensity of the adjacent public plaza. With its landscaped character and open layout, the garden supports casual uses such as walking, sitting, and informal gathering, creating a calm and comfortable environment for daily community life within the larger public space framework (Fig. 227).

Community Facilities

The community-facing part of Key Moment 3 is located along the residential edge and is designed to support daily neighborhood life. This area includes spaces for a community garden, a small playground, and areas for everyday exercise, creating an active yet local public environment (Fig. 228). The arrangement of these facilities encourages regular use by residents and shows how communityoriented activities can comfortably coexist within the larger public-space framework.

05 PERMEABLE PATTERNS

This project expands on Framework 01 from Phase 02 to articulate the physical development and design constraints of the ecological overlay within the portion of the station area east of the A-27 highway. The ecological overlay encompasses the Ribes del Francolí neighborhood as well as a portion of the new Innovation District and supposes constraints on form. The framework and, by extension, this project assume development will continue in this area despite flood risk and encourage harnessing green and grey infrastructure in response through adaptive and contextual design, which can house desired industrial and commercial mixed-use.

A system for water management across the site, constraints on building coverage per block and details of design tools by development component will be articulated. This approach to the site and toolkit will be informed by and accompany reexploration of city planning’s current design approaches to flood risk which follow from Tarragona’s location within the river basin. Given the dominant industrial existing and proposed use, current sustainable practices of regional industry, namely the petrochemical campuses, as they relate to water will also be explored. Finally, the direction of future industry will be considered, to tie together potential players and finances available to realize proposed development standards and move towards an industrial transformation.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

The site’s existing use is predominantly industrial and agricultural. Revisiting industry as a vital economic player, also as it relates to climate change, the petrochemical campuses consume significant water resources and produce hazardous waste, though they are subject to environmental standards.

Currently, 25% of northern campus water sources are reused and 75% come from the Ebro River. Recycled water is sourced from the Advanced Water Reclamation Plant (AWRP) (est. 2011) which reclaims municipal water from wastewater treatment plants in Tarragona, Vila-seca, and Salou.119120, Ammonia levels prevent further scaling of reclamation. However, ULTIMATE, through a 4-year Horizon2020 project under the EU Water in the Context of the Circular Economy program, is working to boost capacity.121

Though the Francolí is a dry river the majority of the time, and the Mediterranean a water scarce region in the face of climate change, flood risks still present on account of Tarragona’s position within the outlet of the Francolí river basin as well as along the coast.

The 100- and 500-year floodplains presently envelop the entirety of the project site and will pose a threat to physical development, which remains there without intervention. Responding to this threat within the framework, the 10-year flood line was taken as the boundary for a park and as a setback for future construction. However, the slow but accelerating and unpredictable risk must be further considered through renewed approaches to water management across the site.

Existing –Unmanaged Movement

Tarragona’s previous response to flooding has been to raise development elevation and construct walls, as well as historic channelization (i.e. the burying of rivers). Flooding through the northern portion of the site as it stands would be unmanaged, as much of this area consists of partial agricultural use with industry in the south.

Current Proposal –Raise & Channelization

Current plans follow from local precedent to propose raising the elevation of the site and building up to a protected edge.122 This method, though immediately effective, bottlenecks pressure through the walled-off Francolí. It also dissuades access to the river as a potential natural and recreational asset.

Proposed Alternative –Managed Adaptation

This project alternatively proposes an adaptive response which relieves pressure by allowing the project area to become floodable. Under this approach, water would ideally be directed and retained in order to later be released, employing a more integrated system with the surrounding natural landscape while limiting damage.

CASE STUDIES

Copenhagen

In 2011, Copenhagen suffered a huge storm, experiencing nearly 130mm of rain, and incurring €1,8 billion in damages.126 In response, the Cloudburst Management Plan advocated for the adoption of green and grey infrastructure to mitigate flooding.127 Green infrastructure included bioswales, pocket gardens, ‘sponge parks,’ green roofs, permeable pavement, and water-absorptive planting.128 Grey innovations, included storage pipes, retention basins, and pumping stations to receive overflow from parks and streets. Green infrastructure also contributed social elements.

Copenhagen’s waterfront was redeveloped under this plan through public and private partnership, with the establishment of the Copenhagen City + Port Development Corporation in 2007.129 The project transformed the port from its industrial origins into a dynamic, sustainable, inclusive space, incorporating flood barriers, raised promenades, and focusing on parks and public spaces, while also recruiting new industries and businesses to foster an innovation hub.

Parc de les Glòries

Parc de les Glòries was inaugurated in April 2025, spanning nine hectares, and encompassing over 30.000m2 of green space and over 1.000 trees.123 It is the second-largest park in the city and provides a model of green and sustainable urbanism.124 The park comprises a 700m2 pergola, a Berta Caceres Sensory Agora (a 2.500m2 esplanade with a variety of programming whose bamboo planting traps large quantities of CO2), an immersion garden (which employs native species resistant to climate change and which retain water during droughts), and includes biodiversity nodes throughout the park. A sustainable drainage system and drought resistant trees further aid with water management while paving and plant density also regulate the climate to boost comfort.

Adjacent to the park, Illa Glòries by Cierto Estudio, is a housing complex structured around a 60% permeable block.125 Volumes frame the green areas, allowing circulation and open spaces to act as connectors, as well as boosting biodiversity and increasing successful water management.

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

This project proposes a structured watered management system across the site which directs, retains, and releases or recycles water surges. Water is directed through a three-part hierarchy of streets which have different levels of green and grey infrastructure, into the existing riverbed at the center of the basin as well as a second vertical next

to and under the highway. Blocks here additionally contribute to retention through smaller scale intervention. Once slowed and retained, water could then ideally be drained back out the river basin or recycled to the wastewater management plant which feeds into the AWRP to supply reclaimed water to the petrochemical complexes.

Blocks would maintain scaled ratios of built to open space falling underneath the ecological overlay. Pulling from Illa Glòries, residential would construct roughly 40/60 built-to-open, commercial, 55/45, and industrial 70/30. Ratio requirements would ensure blocks remain permeable, while also responding to diverse structural needs of different uses.

DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT

STREETSCAPE

Pervious Pavement

Bioswales

Shaded Walkways

BUILT

Consolidated Footprints

Setbacks & Height

Green Roofs

OPEN SPACE

Soil Washing / Bioremediation

Indigenous Planting

Bioswales / Water Retention

Water Cycling

Across the project site, as subject to the ecological overlay, this project proposes tools grouped by each component of development: streets, buildings, and open space. Streetscapes could employ permeable pavements, bioswales, and shaded walkways. Buildings would consider their footprint coverage,

setbacks and height relative to the edge (most notably those bordering the Francolí river), and green roofs. Finally, open space could incorporate soil washing/bioremediation as an additional means of accompanying the industrial transition as well as indigenous planting schemes: forms of water retention and water cycling.

Axon 01 Streetscape

This axon visualizes streetscape tools at a hypothetical intersection. Here there is a primary artery, signalled by the tramway which lies atop green and grey infrastructure, which intersects with a secondary, two-way street. Multimobility is maintained, while attention is paid to setbacks and edges across permeable pavement to encourage connections in the public realm.

Axon 02 Built

Buildings in this axon display their corresponding tools. Here a hypothetical industrial and commercial block retain the respective built to open ratios by scaled building footprints, while additionally incorporating green roofs.

Axon 03

Open Space

Open space holds the widest range of possibilities across its many forms. Soil washing / bioremediation are pictured as tied to transitioned industry, while bioswales are strewn throughout and pervious pavement boosts retention. The park becomes a mosaic of indigenous planted and sustainably watered pockets which provide varied experiences for users.

COMPOSITE BLOCK DIAGRAM

These design interventions come together to form an adaptive development contextualized by its surroundings and thoughtful in its approach.

Ranging scales of grey and green infrastructure intervention, played out across the project site as a system and visualized in the universe of these hypothetical blocks, provide a structured response.

This boosts resiliency, reimagines industry, preserves connectivity, and creates new public spaces for people in a preserved future where risk will not go away, but where continued development better balances collective and natural needs in ecosystems across scale.

PARTNERS & FUNDING

Returning to industry and considering project feasibility and next steps, the region as well as Spain are existing centers for industrial innovation.130131 Ecoplanta, located in El Morell, re-envisions municipal solid waste management by harnessing non-recyclable materials to produce circular chemicals and advanced biofuels.132 They secured €106 million from the EU through the Innovation Fund and operations are expected to start by 2029.133

A private company, Repsol, is also constructing an eco-aggregates plant in Muskiz, Basque Country. Aggregates are produced from CO2 captured at their Petronor refinery as well as ashes which can be used to manufacture concrete and roads.134 This plant enables adaptation of traditional refineries to minimize industry’s environmental impact and carbon footprint and was funded by the EU Innovation Fund 2020 cycle, receiving €3,2 million.

This project could look to engage existing private players such as Repsol and ULTIMATE, as well as partner with ChemMed (i.e. the existing petrochemical conglomerate in Tarragona).135 Reus’s public university could also become an anchor institution through establishing a campus extension with fieldwork components to bring additional people, jobs, and research into the area. Other partners may include government entities across levels.

Finally, in terms of funding, available public subsidies which Spain has already proven competitive for may include the Innovation,136 Horizon Europe,137 Cohesion,138 or European Regional Development139 funds, which area all issued by the EU. Further dollars may be sought from private banks such as Santander and the European Investment Bank.140

06 HYDROLOGIC URBANISM

This project builds upon the framework developed in Phase II to define the physical design logic and spatial constraints of a hydrologic urbanism approach across the station area. The expanded framework clarifies how daylighted streams, ramblas, and green–grey infrastructure organize future development, particularly within the ecological network, commercial spine, and residential avenues. By mapping hydrologic flows and their intersections with the urban grid, this phase establishes how water conditions shape block structure, street typologies, and the distribution of open space.

The design assumes that redevelopment will continue within this flood-prone landscape and therefore proposes an adaptive urban form in which restored tributaries guide public-realm

ETHAN MILLER CHLOE RICHARDS

improvements, mobility corridors, and development envelopes. Standards for block coverage, building form, and the design of the commercial spine, residential avenues, and the greenway articulate how different components respond to hydrologic performance while maintaining programmatic flexibility. The resulting framework provides a toolkit of spatial strategies—ranging from rambla sections to tributary alignments—that supports a cohesive public realm and resilient development pattern.

This phase is grounded in a reevaluation of contemporary planning approaches to flood risk, informed by Tarragona’s position within a dynamic river basin. By integrating hydrology with mobility, public space, and urban form, the project establishes a design methodology that aligns ecological processes with future development across the site.

This initial step mapped existing streams and surface-water flow across the site to reveal the underlying hydrologic structure. Identifying these pathways established the foundation for our rambla network and guided how future streets, public spaces, and development should align with natural water movement.

The second step identified where existing development would need to be trimmed or reconfigured to accommodate the directional flow of water. By carving space along these hydrologic pathways, we established the structural corridors that future ramblas and open spaces must occupy, ensuring that urban form aligns with the natural movement of water.

The final step identified the focal points of development by organizing the site into three primary character zones: the ecological network, the residential streets, and the commercial spine. Overlaying hydrologic flows with our trimmed development corridors, determined where new public spaces, rambla streets, and mixed-use areas should be placed to reinforce water-aligned urban form and establish a coherent structure for future growth.

COMMERCIAL SPINE

The commercial spine establishes a rambla framework designed to support high levels of pedestrian activity, outdoor commerce, and multimodal circulation. Unlike the quieter residential corridors, this spine functions as a primary organizing armature for retail, services, and mixeduse destinations. It strengthens continuity with the commercial districts to the north, transforming an area currently occupied by light-industrial uses into an active public-facing corridor.

The section (Fig. 244) illustrates the commercial spine’s typical configuration. Three- to fourstory mixed-use buildings line both sides of the rambla, introducing ground-floor retail, cafés, and workshops with office or commercial uses above.

These structures may adapt existing industrial buildings or support new construction, with flexible floorplans and outdoor seating that reinforce the corridor’s urban commercial character. Behind the buildings, service courts and loading areas accommodate operational needs while keeping the rambla frontage dedicated to pedestrian-oriented activity.

Wide sidewalks and protected bike lanes frame the rambla and tie into the broader mobility network. The rambla incorporates the daylit stream and a planted zone, with permeable paths, shaded seating, and green terraces shaping a linear public realm that supports commerce, gathering, and movement.

RESIDENTIAL AVENUE

The residential avenue typology features a rambla design that caters to a quieter, neighborhood atmosphere than that of the commercial corridor. The new residential avenues will link to the existing residential areas to the north of the site. Currently, the land of the residential avenue is used as a light industrial area.

The section (Fig. 246) shows the typical design of these residential avenues. On either side of the rambla there are three to four story apartment buildings which could be retrofits of existing commercial or light industrial buildings or new builds. The use of balconies and hipped or flat roofs are typical of residential buildings adjacent to the site. Off the back of the apartments there are back gardens which provide a buffer between the public space of the rambla and the private space of the homes.

Sidewalks and bike lanes line the outside edge of the rambla and link into the larger pedestrian and cycling network within the site. The rambla itself features the newly daylit stream as well as a green buffer zone. This area includes permeable paths that wind throughout the entire residential avenue and plenty of open green spaces for nearby residents to use.

The New Meadowlands Masterplan (Fig. 247)141 by MIT CAU, ZUS, URBANISTEN Deltares, Volker Infradesign, and 75B in New Jersey and the “Social Spine” (Fig. 248)142 by SLA in Copenhagen, Denmark

both served as precedents for the residential rambla typology. The New Meadowlands is a large planning initiative for climate resiliency across New Jersey. Its focus on the integration of flood resilient design and housing is particularly pertinent to the residential avenue. “The Social Spine” serves as a precent for integrating and programming green space along a residential corridor.

GREENWAY

The greenway rambla typology runs along select daylit streams on the site as well as beside the Francoli River. Figure 251 shows a sample section of the entire length of the Greenway space along the Francoli.

Zooming in on the section adjacent to the street (Fig. 250) shows the relationship between the urban environment and the rambla. On the left there is a patio from an adjacent building which faces towards the street. This area is enlivened by local plantings as well as the sidewalks and bike lanes

on either side of the street. Beyond the street there is open park space as well as a sunken basketball court which can act as a storm water basin and aid in providing flood resiliency to the site.

The “Catharijnesingel” project (Fig. 249) by OKRA in Utretch, Netherlands is a precedent project for

the Greenway. This project reintroduced a canal that had been covered to become a highway. The process of reimagining the relationship between the street and the park edge serves as a model for the Greenway. Also, Catharijnesingel’s park programming and use of local planting is pertinent to the Greenway design.

This next section (Fig. 254) includes open green space to be used as a picnic area as well as a floodable amphitheatre that leads down to the river. The red path indicates the permeable walking path within the Greenway. The example shows the path along the Francoli River, which is also lined with local plants to aid in flood resiliency.

Using the Albina Riverside project (Fig. 252) by the 1803 Fund in Portland, Oregon as a precedent, the Greenway takes inspiration from the use of an amphitheatre in a riverside park as well as what a retrofitted landscape and industrial buildings can look like for a new park typology.

07 REGENERATING A COMMUNITY THROUGH WATERWAY RESTORATION

This project builds off of Framework 02, which examined how water will impact Camp de Tarragona in the coming decades and how we might plan to mitigate its effects at both the regional scale and the more narrow scope of the station area around the Central Station in Tarragona. We chose to zoom in on a specific candidate area to address a key element within the station area that will likely persist throughout any potential redevelopment of the site: the elevated A-27 highway access to the Port of Tarragona.

HENRY SYWULAK-HERR

JEFFERY TSENG

This highway brings many challenges that must be addressed if the station area is going to become a livable, pedestrian-oriented, healthy, and floodresilient place for people to live and work. From air pollution concerns to pluvial runoff, this project seeks to create both a vision and a set of tools that can be used by the city of Tarragona to turn what currently is a major obstacle into a feature and asset to the community. We hope to provide a set of ideas for combining green infrastructure and thoughtful programming that might inspire further efforts to integrate them across the region.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Issues

Route A-27 is an elevated highway that connects the Port of Tarragona to the intercity highway network. This highway ranges anywhere from nine to twelve meters above ground level and is supported by an earthen berm with just two dimly lit and uninviting underpasses to allow for east-west travel. Four highway access ramps prevent pedestrian access to approximately 2,5 hectares of open green space and allow noisy and polluting industrial traffic to directly enter the site area. Furthermore, industrial traffic traveling on the elevated highway often transports hazardous materials that could pose health risks to future residents in the event of an accident.

The majority of land beyond the highway is covered by impervious surfaces, including two massive parking lots. This limits opportunities for rainwater to infiltrate the soil and leads to localized flooding during heavy rain events where adequate grey stormwater infrastructure is not present. The local geology naturally collects and funnels south-flowing rainwater from Torreforta and nearby agricultural fields along the west side of the highway, further exacerbating flooding.

Strategies & Precedents

Air pollution could be managed through the installation of a solid barrier along the highway, as is typical along major highways in Spain and elsewhere in the world. Emulating the Green Heart Louisville project in the United States, the highway’s structural berm could be utilized to also plant dense vegetation to act as a natural filtration barrier for particulate pollution. These improvements would also reduce noise pollution emanating from the highway, making the project area significantly quieter and more pleasant for pedestrians below.

Industrial activity within the project site is expected to decline as future redevelopment efforts alter the character of the project area, reducing the need for direct highway access. This could allow for the removal of the four highway access ramps, freeing up currently underutilized land parcels adjacent to the highway. North-south pedestrian paths through these parcels could be integrated into linear parks on either side of the highway, which could contain a wide diversity of outdoor uses for residents

The current highway underpasses could be made more pedestrian friendly through the installation of brighter lighting and artistic architectural features to improve their facades. Additional pedestrian tunnels that follow these design principles could be constructed between current underpasses to further add points of east-west connection.

The western side of the highway would require a physical structure to channel and contain flood waters during a rain event, though this daylighted riverbed would remain dry the remainder of the

time. Cheonggyecheon Park in Seoul, South Korea exploits the similar behavior of its namesake stream, providing a linear park for residents and tourists while dry and acting as a flood management corridor during heavy rain events. For Tarragona, flood waters would be channeled south through culverts that run underneath the existing freight rail right of way into a wide expanse of barren land on the other side. This would give flood waters a chance to either spread out and drain into the soil or, if the soil is saturated, flow into the Mediterranean.

CHARACTER ZONES

THE GYM

PROPOSED STATION AREA

PROPOSED GREENWAY CORRIDOR FRAMWORK

PROPOSED FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

TO FRANCOLI RIVER

EXISTING TO REMAIN INDUSTRIAL

Character Zones

Building on these key interventions, we organize the site into four distinct character zones that each respond to the needs, constraints, and opportunities of their immediate context. To the north, the Station Plaza anchors the gateway into the district and creates a civic arrival point next to the proposed station. Adjacent to it is The Gym, an active recreation zone that supports sports, play, and community health. Moving south, the River Walk area reclaims the central corridor as a linear ecological spine, integrating flood management with pedestrian trails. Finally, The Woodlands serve as a softer, immersive buffer that transitions toward the existing industrial edge while providing nature-

based recreation. Together, these zones create a continuous green corridor that reconnects the east and west sides of the site.

Inspiration Imagery

These precedent images illustrate the spatial character of the first two zones

THE WOODLANDS

OVERALL PLAN

Site Plan

Each character zone is connected through a unified system of trails, ecological corridors, and programmed spaces. The elevated freight highway becomes a defining landmark, but instead of dividing the site, our strategy stitches the landscape across this barrier. The proposed future residential areas east of The Gym integrate seamlessly with the green corridor, preparing the site for long-term regeneration.

DEMONSTRATION AREA

Fig.266 Detailed site plan for the project area with surrounding context.

The northern section of the demonstration area provides multiple programs layered to maximize both activity and ecological benefit. Terraced seating, canopy shades and a diverse mix of sports courts, active trails, and play landscapes.

The southern demonstration area shifts towards more ecological-focused programming. Anchoring the left western side of the highway centers a flood management corridor, with bioswales, retention landscapes, boardwalks and a network of active and passive trails.

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As part of the studio we embarked on a study trip to Camp de Tarragona and Barcelona to tour historic places and recent developments, learn from local public-sector city planning officials, architects, and engineers, as well as faculty and students from the URV in Reus. We learned much on this trip, but also through our interactions with guest lecturers and reviewers at our mid-term and final presentations in Philadelphia. All of these experiences and the information and feedback we received along the way, made the work of this studio possible.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following individuals for sharing their time and insights with our studio:

In Tarragona

Pau de Sola Morales, Miquel Virgili Martinez, & Ferran Grau, Universitat Rovira i Virgili; Francesc Santacana, Comissió Territorial d'Urbanisme del Camp de Tarragona; Xavier Villacampa, Director of the Territorial Services in Tarragona; Carlos GarcíaRevilla & Xavier Andrés-García, Directorate General for Mobility Infrastructures DTHTE; Juan Manuel Zaguirre, Oficina de redaccion del POUM

In Barcelona

Neda Kostandinovic, Barcelona City Council, Office of the Chief Architect, Urban Ecology; Pau de Sola

Morales & Miquel Virgili Martinez, Universitat Rovira i Virgili; David Gouverneur, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Oscar Grauer & Nuri Bofill Philadelphia and Online

Santiago Orbea, Henning Larsen; Ramon Gras, Aretian; Michael Samuelian, Cornell Urban Tech Hub; Nando Micale, LRK; Simon David, OSD; Shachi Pandey, MUD workshop; Miquel Virgili Martinez, Universitat Rovira i Virgili; Jonathan Barnett, Xiaoxia (Summer) Dong, Zhongjie Lin, Lisa Sevron, Megan Ryerson, Matthijs Bouw, Eric Guerra, Akira Drake Rodriguez, Vincent Reina, Jamaal Green, & Kate Daniels, Univ. of Pennsylvania.

ENDNOTES

01 Britannica Editors, “Tarragona,” Britannica, November 1, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/place/ Tarragona-Spain; Britannica Editors, “Louis XIII,” Britannica, November 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIII; Britannica Editors, “Moor,” Britannica, November 14, 2025, https:// www.britannica.com/topic/Moor-people; Britannica Editors, “Goth,” Britannica, December 18, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Goth; María J. Viguera, “Spain - Romanization, Culture, History | Britannica,” Britannica, December 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Romanization; Michael Ray, “Euro-Zone Debt Crisis,” Britannica Money, March 31, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/money//money/euro-zone-debt-crisis; Port Tarragona, “History,” Port Tarragona, 2025, https://www.porttarragona.cat/en/port-city/history; Richard E. Sullivan, “Emperor of the Romans - Charlemagne,” Britannica, November 22, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne/Emperor-of-the-Romans; Stanley G. Payne, “Francisco Franco,” Britannica, November 30, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-Franco; Vicente Rodriguez, “Aragon,” Britannica, March 12, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Aragon-region-Spain#ref169835; Vicente Rodriguez, “Catalonia,” Britannica, December 17, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/ Catalonia#ref276004; “Tarragona Petrochemical Complex: The Largest in Southern Europe,” ERICA, June 20, 2024, https://www.ericaproject.eu/tarragonas-petrochemical-complex-thelargest-in-southern-europe/.\\uc0\\u8220{}Louis XIII,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica, November 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIII; Britannica Editors, \\uc0\\u8220{}Moor,\\uc0\\ u8221{} Britannica, November 14, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moor-people; Britannica Editors, \\uc0\\u8220{}Goth,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica, December 18, 2025, https://www.britannica. com/topic/Goth; Mar\\uc0\\u237{}a J. Viguera, \\uc0\\u8220{}Spain - Romanization, Culture, History | Britannica,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica, December 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/ Romanization; Michael Ray, \\uc0\\u8220{}Euro-Zone Debt Crisis,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica Money, March 31, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/money//money/euro-zone-debt-crisis; Port Tarragona, \\uc0\\u8220{}History,\\uc0\\u8221{} Port Tarragona, 2025, https://www.porttarragona.cat/en/ port-city/history; Richard E. Sullivan, \\uc0\\u8220{}Emperor of the Romans - Charlemagne,\\uc0\\ u8221{} Britannica, November 22, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne/ Emperor-of-the-Romans; Stanley G. Payne, \\uc0\\u8220{}Francisco Franco,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica, November 30, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-Franco; Vicente Rodriguez, \\uc0\\u8220{}Aragon,\\uc0\\u8221{} Britannica, March 12, 2025, https://www.britannica. com/place/Aragon-region-Spain#ref169835; Vicente Rodriguez, \\uc0\\u8220{}Catalonia,\\uc0\\ u8221{} Britannica, December 17, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Catalonia#ref276004; \\ uc0\\u8220{}Tarragona Petrochemical Complex: The Largest in Southern Europe,\\uc0\\u8221{} {\\i{}ERICA}, June 20, 2024, https://www.ericaproject.eu/tarragonas-petrochemical-complexthe-largest-in-southern-europe/.”,”plainCitation”:”Britannica Editors, “Tarragona,” Britannica, November 1, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/place/Tarragona-Spain; Britannica Editors, “Louis XIII,” Britannica, November 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIII; Britannica Editors, “Moor,” Britannica, November 14, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moor-people; Britannica Editors, “Goth,” Britannica, December 18, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Goth; María J. Viguera, “Spain - Romanization, Culture, History | Britannica,” Britannica, December 11, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Romanization; Michael Ray, “Euro-Zone Debt Crisis,” Britannica Money, March 31, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/money//money/euro-zone-debtcrisis; Port Tarragona, “History,” Port Tarragona, 2025, https://www.porttarragona.cat/en/port-city/ history; Richard E. Sullivan, “Emperor of the Romans - Charlemagne,” Britannica, November 22, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne/Emperor-of-the-Romans; Stanley G. Payne, “Francisco Franco,” Britannica, November 30, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/ Francisco-Franco; Vicente Rodriguez, “Aragon,” Britannica, March 12, 2025, https://www.britannica. com/place/Aragon-region-Spain#ref169835; Vicente Rodriguez, “Catalonia,” Britannica, December 17, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Catalonia#ref276004; “Tarragona Petrochemical Complex: The Largest in Southern Europe,” ERICA, June 20, 2024, https://www.ericaproject.eu/ tarragonas-petrochemical-complex-the-largest-in-southern-europe/.”,”noteIndex”:1},”citationItem s”:[{“id”:606,”uris”:[“http://zotero.org/users/local/8eoaBqR3/items/7CLVQIIW”],”itemData”:{“id”:606,”t ype”:”webpage”,”container-title”:”Britannica”,”title”:”Tarragona”,”URL”:”https://www.britannica.com/ place/Tarragona-Spain”,”author”:[{“literal”:”Britannica Editors”}],”accessed”:{“date-parts”:[[“2025”,1 2,19]]},”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2023”,11,1]]}}},{“id”:600,”uris”:[“http://zotero.org/users/local/8eoaBqR3/ items/CLUP64XJ”],”itemData”:{“id”:600,”type”:”webpage”,”abstract”:”Louis XIII was the king of France from 1610 to 1643, who cooperated closely with his chief minister, the Cardinal de Richelieu, to make France a leading European power. The eldest son of King Henry IV and Marie de Médicis, Louis succeeded to the throne upon the assassination of his father in May”,”container-ti tle”:”Britannica”,”language”:”en”,”title”:”Louis XIII”,”URL”:”https://www.britannica.com/biography/ Louis-XIII”,”author”:[{“literal”:”Britannica Editors”}],”accessed”:{“date-parts”:[[“2025”,12,19]]},”issued”:{“d ate-parts”:[[“2025”,11,11]]}}},{“id”:594,”uris”:[“http://zotero.org/users/local/8eoaBqR3/items/BEPLNQWT ”],”itemData”:{“id”:594,”type”:”webpage”,”abstract”:”Moor, in English usage, a Moroccan or, formerly, a member of the Muslim population of what is now Spain and Portugal. Of mixed Arab, Spanish, and Amazigh (Berber

02 “National Parties in Spain,” December 17, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Nationalparties.

03 “Population and Housing Census,” Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.idescat.cat/dades/obertes/censph?lang=en2.

04 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

05 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

06 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

07 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

08 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

09 “Housing Viewer,” Generalitat de Catalunya, accessed December 17, 2025, https://sig.gencat.cat/ visors/habitatge.html.

10 “Housing Cost Overburden Rate by Poverty Status,” Statistical Institute of Catalonia, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.idescat.cat/indicadors/?id=ue&n=16235&lang=en.

11 Statistical Institute of Catalonia, “Housing Cost Overburden Rate by Poverty Status.”

12 “Persons in Employment. By Section of Economic Activity of the Establishment. Counties and Aran.,” Statistical Institute of Catalonia, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.idescat.cat/indicadors/ ?id=aec&n=15290&lang=en.

13 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

14 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

15 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

16 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

17 Institute of Statistics of Catalonia, “Population and Housing Census.”

18 Instituto Nacional de Estadística, “Household Income Distribution Atlas. 2015-2023 Series - Mean and Median Income Indicators,” Database, INE, 2023, https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Datos.htm?t=53689; Instituto Nacional de Estadística, “Household Income Distribution Map. Year 2022.,” Press Release, INE, 2022, https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/ADRH2022.htm.

19 Instituto Nacional de Estadística, “Press Release.”

20 Instituto Nacional de Estadística, “Press Release.”

21 “Calendar of Festivals and Cultural and Sporting Activities,” Tarragona Living History, accessed

December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/calendar-festivals-and-cultural-andsporting-activities.

22 “Tarragona, City of Human Towers | Tarragona Turisme,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/tarragona-city-human-towers.

23 “Diocesan Museum of Tarragona,” Catedral Tarragona, accessed December 17, 2025, https://catedraldetarragona.com/en/part-diocesan-museum/.

24 “The Central Market,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/route-point/central-market.

25 “Leisure,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/ en/leisure.

26 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Land Cover Map of Catalonia,” Gencat, 2023, http:// www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Maps/Land-cover-map-Catalonia.

27 Weather Atlas, “Yearly & Monthly Weather - Tarragona, Spain,” Weather Atlas, 2025, https://www. weather-atlas.com/en/spain/tarragona-climate.

28 “Spain Interactive Plant Hardiness Zone Map,” PlantMaps, 2025, http://www.plantmaps.com/ interactive-spain--plant-hardiness-zone-map.php.

29 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Land Cover Map of Catalonia.”

30 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya. (2023). Land cover map of Catalonia Gencat. http:// www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Maps/Land-cover-map-Catalonia

31 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Land Cover Map of Catalonia.”

32 WHO, “Urban Green Space Interventions and Health - A Review of Impacts and Effectiveness,” World Health Organization, 2017, https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/librariesprovider2/euro-health-topics/ environment/urban-green-space-intervention.pdf?sfvrsn=a2e135f3_1&download=true; Guillermo Rey Gozalo et al., “Relationships among Satisfaction, Noise Perception, and Use of Urban Green Spaces,” Science of The Total Environment 624 (May 2018): 438–50, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. scitotenv.2017.12.148.\\uc0\\u8221{} World Health Organization, 2017, https://cdn.who.int/media/ docs/librariesprovider2/euro-health-topics/environment/urban-green-space-intervention.pdf?sf vrsn=a2e135f3_1&download=true; Guillermo Rey Gozalo et al., \\uc0\\u8220{}Relationships among Satisfaction, Noise Perception, and Use of Urban Green Spaces,\\uc0\\u8221{} {\\i{}Science of The Total Environment} 624 (May 2018

33 Joan Alberich, Yolanda Pérez-Albert, José Ignacio Muro Morales, and Edgar Bustamante Picón, “Environmental Justice and Urban Parks. A Case Study Applied to Tarragona (Spain),” Urban Science 5, no. 3 (2021): 62, https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci5030062.and Edgar Bustamante Pic\\ uc0\\u243{}n, \\uc0\\u8220{}Environmental Justice and Urban Parks. A Case Study Applied to Tarragona (Spain

34 Alberich, Pérez-Albert, Morales, and Picón, “Environmental Justice and Urban Parks. A Case Study Applied to Tarragona (Spain).”efficient city management must assess whether the population has access to green areas and the areas’ quality in relation to, for example, vegetation, facilities or furnishings. Therefore, the objective is to establish environmental justice of urban parks in Tarragona (Spain

35 “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26,” Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, 2025, https://geoportal.tarragona.cat/portal/apps/experiencebuilder/experience/?id=2030bf4d38764d20b8a668399a86ff8c&p age=Biodiversitat-urbana&utm_source=chatgpt.com&views=2023-%2CRES-001-Esp%C3%A8ciesadaptades-al-clima-futur%2C2024%2CCBA-006.-Carboni-segrestat%2CInformaci%C3%B3%2CCBS-001.-Dotaci%C3%B3-d%E2%80%99%C3%A0rees-verdes%2CBDU-012.-Diversitatvegetal-de-plantacions%2CSUP-010.-Superf%C3%ADcie-municipal-d%E2%80%99%C3%A0reesnaturals%2CCON-005.-Cobertura-de-l%E2%80%99arbrat.

36 Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26.”

37 Alberich, Pérez-Albert, Morales, and Picón, “Environmental Justice and Urban Parks. A Case Study Applied to Tarragona (Spain).”efficient city management must assess whether the population has access to green areas and the areas’ quality in relation to, for example, vegetation, facilities or furnishings. Therefore, the objective is to establish environmental justice of urban parks in Tarragona (Spain

38 Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26.”

39 Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26.”

40 Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26.”

41 Geoportal.Tarragona.Cat, “Biodiversitat Urbana | Indicadors TGB’26.”

42 Fulgencio Cánovas-García and Jesús Vargas Molina, “An Exploration of Exposure to River Flood Risk in Spain Using the National Floodplain Mapping System,” Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk 16, no. 1 (2025): 2421405, https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2024.2421405.

43 Cánovas-García and Vargas Molina, “An Exploration of Exposure to River Flood Risk in Spain Using the National Floodplain Mapping System.”

44 Ferréol Salomon et al., “Challenging Reconstruction of the Plurimillennial Morphodynamics of Hybrid Urban Deltas: Trajectory from a Wave-Dominated Delta to a Human-Dominated Delta in the Western Mediterranean Area,” Geomorphology 455 (June 2024): 109178, https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109178.associated with the UNESCO city of Tarragona, offers a perfect case study to identify the different steps of a wave-dominated delta leading to a humandominated delta over a long-term perspective. Tarragona emerged in the 1st millennium BCE and became a significant port city in the Roman period. This study identifies the evidence of a semi-protected harbour built 2000 years ago that initiates the evolution of a hybrid urban delta towards a human-dominated delta. Until the end 19th c. CE, cyclical changes at the river mouth are observed due to natural fluvial and coastal dynamics while progradation stages are partly affected by anthropogenic structures over time. The 19th c. CE is a major turning point. Morphodynamics controlled by anthropogenic factors strongly increase while fluvial and coastal sedimentation is partly erased by dredgings. The systematic approach proposed for the Francolí delta can be standardised and applied to other hybrid urban deltas allowing better comparison between urbanised deltas.”,”container-title”:”Geomorphology”,”DOI”:”10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109 178”,”ISSN”:”0169555X”,”journalAbbreviation”:”Geomorphology”,”language”:”en”,”page”:”109178”,”so urce”:”DOI.org (Crossref

45 Salomon et al., “Challenging Reconstruction of the Plurimillennial Morphodynamics of Hybrid Urban Deltas.”associated with the UNESCO city of Tarragona, offers a perfect case study to identify the different steps of a wave-dominated delta leading to a human-dominated delta over a longterm perspective. Tarragona emerged in the 1st millennium BCE and became a significant port city in the Roman period. This study identifies the evidence of a semi-protected harbour built 2000 years ago that initiates the evolution of a hybrid urban delta towards a human-dominated delta. Until the end 19th c. CE, cyclical changes at the river mouth are observed due to natural fluvial and coastal dynamics while progradation stages are partly affected by anthropogenic structures over time. The 19th c. CE is a major turning point. Morphodynamics controlled by anthropogenic factors strongly increase while fluvial and coastal sedimentation is partly erased by dredgings. The systematic approach proposed for the Francolí delta can be standardised and applied to other hybrid urban deltas allowing better comparison between urbanised deltas.”,”container-title”:”Geomorphology”,”DOI”:”10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109178”,”ISSN”:”0169555X” ,”journalAbbreviation”:”Geomorphology”,”language”:”en”,”page”:”109178”,”source”:”DOI.org (Crossref

46 Cánovas-García and Vargas Molina, “An Exploration of Exposure to River Flood Risk in Spain Using the National Floodplain Mapping System.”

47 Salomon et al., “Challenging Reconstruction of the Plurimillennial Morphodynamics of Hybrid Urban Deltas.”associated with the UNESCO city of Tarragona, offers a perfect case study to identify

the different steps of a wave-dominated delta leading to a human-dominated delta over a longterm perspective. Tarragona emerged in the 1st millennium BCE and became a significant port city in the Roman period. This study identifies the evidence of a semi-protected harbour built 2000 years ago that initiates the evolution of a hybrid urban delta towards a human-dominated delta. Until the end 19th c. CE, cyclical changes at the river mouth are observed due to natural fluvial and coastal dynamics while progradation stages are partly affected by anthropogenic structures over time. The 19th c. CE is a major turning point. Morphodynamics controlled by anthropogenic factors strongly increase while fluvial and coastal sedimentation is partly erased by dredgings. The systematic approach proposed for the Francolí delta can be standardised and applied to other hybrid urban deltas allowing better comparison between urbanised deltas.”,”container-title”:”Geomorphology”,”DOI”:”10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109178”,”ISSN”:”0169555X” ,”journalAbbreviation”:”Geomorphology”,”language”:”en”,”page”:”109178”,”source”:”DOI.org (Crossref

48 Ferréol Salomon et al., “Reconstructing the Plurisecular Trajectory of an Exemplary Hybrid Urban Delta (Tarragona-Francolí System, Spain): Towards the End of a Delta?,” Geomorphology 462 (October 2024): 109344, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109344.

49 Arnau Amengual et al., “Hydrometeorological Controls of and Social Response to the 22 October 2019 Catastrophic Flash Flood in Catalonia, North-Eastern Spain,” Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 24, no. 6 (2024): 2215–42, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2215-2024.the Francolí River basin in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain, experienced a heavy precipitation event that resulted in a catastrophic flash flood, causing six fatalities. Few studies comprehensively address both the physical and human dimensions and their interrelations during extreme flash flooding. This research takes a step forward towards filling this gap in knowledge by examining the alignment among all these factors. The hydrometeorological factors are investigated using the new Triangle-based Regional Atmospheric Model, radar-derived precipitation estimates, post-flood field and gauge observations, and the Kinematic Local Excess Model. The social dimension is assessed by examining the relationship between catchment dynamics and warning response times and by quantifying human behaviour during the course of the flash flood through a postevent citizen science campaign. Results reveal that a persistent south-easterly airflow brought low-level moisture and established convective instability in the region, while local orography was instrumental to triggering deep moist convection. A convective train promoted intense, copious, and prolonged precipitation over the north-western catchment headwaters. Basin response was significantly modulated by the very dry initial soil moisture conditions. After the long-lasting rainfall, an acute burst of precipitation resulted in extreme flash flooding. Fast and abrupt increases in streamflow affect small spatial scales and leave limited time for the effective implementation of protective measures. The institutional organization–protection–prevention cycle unfolded at the spatial and temporal scales typically dominated by the meteorological rather than hydrological scales. Although the citizen science campaign reveals the effectiveness of the warnings in reaching the population living in the most affected areas, a significant proportion of the respondents expressed a lack of adequate information or were unfamiliar with the intended meaning. In addition, a majority of the interviewees did not perceive any significant threat to life or property. In view of these results, this study identifies potential areas for improving social preparedness for similar natural hazards in the future.”,”container-title”:”Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences”,”DOI”:”10.5194/nhess-24-2215-2024”,”ISSN”:”1561-8633”,”issue”:”6”,”language”:”English”,”n ote”:”publisher: Copernicus GmbH”,”page”:”2215-2242”,”source”:”Copernicus Online Journals”,”title ”:”Hydrometeorological controls of and social response to the 22 October 2019 catastrophic flash flood in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain”,”volume”:”24”,”author”:[{“family”:”Amengual”,”given”:”Arnau ”},{“family”:”Romero”,”given”:”Romu”},{“family”:”Llasat”,”given”:”María Carmen”},{“family”:”Hermoso”,” given”:”Alejandro”},{“family”:”Llasat-Botija”,”given”:”Montserrat”}],”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2024”,7,1]]}}} ],”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}

50 Angel Amores et al., “Coastal Impacts of Storm Gloria (January 2020) over the North-Western Mediterranean,” Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 20, no. 7 (2020): 1955–68, https:// doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-1955-2020; “Storm Gloria: Spain Death Toll Rises to 13 with Four Missing,” News, BBC, January 23, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51231064.

51 Catalan News, “Catalonia Registers Three Flood Alerts in September, Only Four Last Fall,” Catalan News, September 21, 2023, https://www.catalannews.com/society-science/item/catalonia-registers-three-flood-alerts-in-september-last-fall-only-four.

52 Russ Garrett. (2025). Open Infrastructure Map. Open Infrastructure Map. https://openinframap.org

53 Russ Garrett. (2025). Open Infrastructure Map. Open Infrastructure Map. https://openinframap.org

54 Catalonia Trade & Investment. (2022, September 27). Tarragona will have the largest green hydrogen plant in Spain with an investment of 230 million euros. Catalonia.Com. https://catalonia. com/w/tarragona-will-have-the-largest-green-hydrogen-plant-in-spain-with-an-investment-of230-million-euros

55 Lhyfe. (2023, November 22). Lhyfe has been awarded a grant of up to €14 million for its first green hydrogen project in Spain in Tarragona [Blog]. Press Releases https://www.lhyfe.com/press/ lhyfe-has-been-awarded-a-grant-of-up-to-e14-million-for-its-first-green-hydrogen-project-inspain-in-tarragona/

56 Government of Catalonia. (2023, June 13). Government approves roadmap for Catalonia’s energy transition until 2050 [Government of Catalonia]. Catalangovernment.Eu. https://catalangovernment.eu/catalangovernment/news/515283/government-approves-roadmap-for-cataloniasenergy-transition-until-2050?v=

57 Joan Josep Pujadas Muñoz. (2025). Tarragona: The transformation of an administrative capital and port into a post-industrial metropolis https://publicacions.iec.cat/repository/ pdf/00000528/00000080.pdf

58 ChemMed Tarragona. (2024). Chemistry creating future https://chemmedcluster.com/wp-content/ uploads/2024/02/Chemmed_ENG_compressed.pdf

59 EFE. (2013, November 10). Explosión en la planta de Repsol en Tarragona sin heridos ni afectación exterior 20minutos. https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1972339/0/explosion/planta-repsol/tarragona/

60 Catalan News. (2025, January 14). Five years after a reactor explosion in Tarragona, justice is still pending. Catalan News. https://www.catalannews.com/society-science/item/five-years-after-areactor-explosion-in-tarragona-justice-is-still-pending

61 Spain: Death toll rises to two in Tarragona chemical plant blast (2020, January 15). The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/spain-death-toll-rises-to-two-in-tarragonachemical-plant-blast-1.4140767

62 Leading Industrial Water Reuse in Southern Spain. (2024, December 16). Cefic https://cefic.org/casestudy/leading-industrial-water-reuse-in-southern-spain/

63 ChemMed. (2023, December 14). Qui som—ChemMed Cluster Tarragona https://chemmedcluster. com/qui-som/

64 “Tarragona,” Roman Ports, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.romanports.org/en/articles/ ports-in-focus/645-tarragona.html.

65 Roman Ports, “Tarragona.”

66 Roman Ports, “Tarragona.”

67 Roman Ports, “Tarragona.”

68 Roman Ports, “Tarragona.”

69 “The History of Tarragona Cathedral,” Catedral Tarragona, accessed December 17, 2025, https:// catedraldetarragona.com/en/history-cathedral/?_gl=1*187h9zc*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkyODcxNDAzNC 4xNzU2NDk4NDE1*_ga_6J2WWD264P*czE3NTY5NDIxNTIkbzIkZzAkdDE3NTY5NDIxNTIkajYwJG wwJGgw*_ga_FHXEZJT4TN*czE3NTY5NDIxNTMkbzIkZzAkdDE3NTY5NDIxNTMkajYwJGwwJGg3 OTgzMzY1OTY.

70 Dave McClane, “48 Hours in Tarragona: A City Guide,” Man Vs Globe, March 19, 2025, https://www. manvsglobe.com/tarragona-spain-city-guide/.

71 “Local or Colony Forum (MHT),” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www. tarragonaturisme.cat/en/monument/local-or-colony-forum-mht.

72 “Mediaeval Route,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/routes/mediaeval-route.

73 “Modernist Route,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/routes/modernist-route.

74 “Balcó Del Mediterrani,” Tarragona Living History, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en/monument/balco-del-mediterrani.

75 Tarragona Living History, “The Central Market.”

76 Mat Watts, “Patio-House: Designing Privacy and Tranquility in Spain,” HomeAdore, April 13, 2024, https://homeadore.com/2024/04/13/patio-house-designing-privacy-and-tranquility-in-spain/.

77 “Use Value as a Priority. Renovation of a Building with 8 Home by AVL Arquitectura and Antoni Bou Arquitectes,” Metalocus, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/usevalue-a-priority-renovation-a-building-8-home-avl-arquitectura-and-antoni-bou-arquitectes.

78 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona (Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Territori, 2022).

79 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

80 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

81 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

82 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

83 “Traffic Type,” Port Tarragona, accessed December 13, 2025, https://www.porttarragona.cat/en/ services-business/business/traffic-type/item/1763.

84 “Marina Port Tarraco,” Port Tarraco, accessed December 13, 2025, https://www.porttarraco.com/en/ the-marina/marina-port-tarraco.

85 Port Tarraco, “Marina Port Tarraco.”

86 Port Tarraco, “Marina Port Tarraco.”

87 “La Gestió Dels Residus,” SIRUSA, n.d., accessed December 13, 2025, https://sirusa.es/la-gestio-delsresidus/.

88 Houston Spencer, “Spanish and U.S. Companies Recognized for World-Class Water Stewardship,” Xylem, April 22, 2024, https://www.xylem.com/en-us/about-xylem/newsroom/press-releases/ spanish-and-u.s.-companies-recognized-for-world-class-water-stewardship.

89 “Power Plant Profile: Tarragona Combined Cycle Power Plant, Spain,” Power Technology, October 21, 2024, https://www.power-technology.com/marketdata/power-plant-profile-tarragona-combinedcycle-power-plant-spain/.

90 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

91 Xavier Delclòs-Alió and Wilbert den Hoed, “Perceptions of Potential Cycling Infrastructure in a Low-Cycling Context: Evidence from a Medium-Sized Urban Area,” International Journal of Sustainable Transportation 18, no. 12 (2024): 999–1011, https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2024.24 24420.cycling infrastructure and use are still incipient in many small and medium-sized cities. Because of their spatial context and very low and demographically uneven cycle use, it is key to understand how the potential of growing infrastructure is perceived among the general population, as well as how these perceptions differ based on personal characteristics. We focus on Camp de Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain

92 Directrius de Planejament Urbanístic de l’àmbit Metropolità Del Camp de Tarragona

93 Alberich, Pérez-Albert, Morales, Picón, et al., “Environmental Justice and Urban Parks. A Case Study Applied to Tarragona (Spain).”

94 Alessio Russo and Giuseppe T. Cirella, “Modern Compact Cities: How Much Greenery Do We Need?,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 10 (2018): 2180.\\uc0\\ u8221{} {\\i{}International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health} 15, no. 10 (2018

95 Generalitat de Catalunya, “Cartography of Catalonia Forest Biophysical Variables,” Gencat, accessed December 14, 2025, http://www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Maps/Cartography-Catalonia-forest-biophysical-variables.

96 Directorate-General for Environment, “Increasing Tree Coverage to 30% in European Cities Could Reduce Deaths Linked to Urban Heat Island Effect,” Euopean Commission, June 21, 2023, https:// environment.ec.europa.eu/news/increasing-tree-coverage-30-european-cities-could-reducedeaths-linked-urban-heat-island-effect-2023-06-21_en.

97 “Abandoibarra Masterplan,” Balmori Associates, April 4, 2022, http://www.balmori.com/portfolio/ abandoibarra-masterplan.

98 Balmori Associates, “Abandoibarra Masterplan,” April 4, 2022.

99 “How Barcelona Became an R&D Hub: 20 Years of District 22@Barcelona,” 22@Network Barcelona, February 17, 2022, https://www.22network.net/news/how-barcelona-became-an-rd-hub-20-yearsof-district-22barcelona/?lang=en.

100 “Abandoibarra Masterplan,” Balmori Associates, April 4, 2022, http://www.balmori.com/portfolio/ abandoibarra-masterplan.

101 22@Network Barcelona, “How Barcelona Became an R&d Hub.”

102 “About the Redevelopment of the King’s Cross Area of London,” King’s Cross, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.kingscross.co.uk/about-the-development.

103 King’s Cross, “About the Redevelopment of the King’s Cross Area of London.”

104 “The Greenest Town in Europe,” Green City Times, March 31, 2014, https://www.greencitytimes.com/ europe-s-most-sustainable-city/.

105 Green City Times, “The Greenest Town in Europe.”

106 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya. (2020). Digital Terrain Model 5m 2020 raster data [Dataset]. Open ICGC QGIS Plugin. https://www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Data-andproducts/Bessons-digitals-Elevacions/5x5-m-Terrain-elevation-model

107

108 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya. (2020). Digital Terrain Model 5m 2020 raster data [Dataset]. Open ICGC QGIS Plugin. https://www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Data-andproducts/Bessons-digitals-Elevacions/5x5-m-Terrain-elevation-model

109 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya. (2023). Land cover map of Catalonia Gencat. http:// www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Maps/Land-cover-map-Catalonia

110 Generalitat de Catalunya. (2022). Directrius de planejament urbanístic de l’àmbit metropolità del Camp de Tarragona—El futur del Camp (1st ed.). Generalitat de Catalunya Departament de Territori.

111 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Land Cover Map of Catalonia.”

112 “Camino Natural Vía Verde Del Aceite,” accessed December 18, 2025, https://viasverdes.com/itinerarios/aceite/descripcion-de-la-ruta.asp.

113 “Via Verde Del Aceite,” Via Verde Del Aceite - Naturaleza - Deporte - Gastronomía, accessed December 18, 2025, https://viaverdeaceite.com/en/.

114 “Vías Verdes - Fundación de Los Ferrocarriles Españoles,” Fundación de Los Ferrocarriles Españoles, accessed December 18, 2025, https://viasverdes.com/viasverdes/quienes-somos.asp.

115 Guía de Buenas Practicas En La Gestion de Vias Verdes Supraterritoriales (Programa Experiencias Turismo España del Ministerio de Industria y Turismo, 2025).

116 “Greenways - Spanish Railways Foundation,” accessed December 16, 2025, https://viasverdes.com/ viasverdes/programa-viasverdes.asp.

117 “Greenways - Spanish Railways Foundation.”

118 “Greenways - Spanish Railways Foundation.”

119 Joan Sanz et al., “Reclaimed Water for the Tarragona Petrochemical Park,” Water Science & Technology: Water Supply 15 (April 2015): 308, https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2014.114.which would otherwise be disposed of in the Mediterranean Sea, as an essential component of integrated water resources management. An advanced water reclamation plant (AWRP

120 “Reusing Water from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants,” Repsol, accessed December 18, 2025, https://www.repsol.com/en/sustainability/sustainability-pillars/environment/circular-economy/ourprojects/reusing-water/index.cshtml.

121 “Increasing the Capacity to Recover Water at an Industrial Complex,” Ultimate Water, n.d., accessed December 18, 2025, https://ultimatewater.eu/demo-site/increasing-the-capacity-to-recover-waterat-an-industrial-complex/.

122 “Visit with Tarragona’s Planning Department,” Tarragona, October 6, 2025.

123 “Transformation of Glòries Complete,” April 26, 2025, https://www.barcelona.cat/internationalwelcome/en/news/transformation-of-glories-complete-1508570.

124 Artchitectours, “Parc de Les Glòries: The New Gem of Barcelona,” Artchitectours, May 6, 2025, https:// www.artchitectours.com/parc-de-les-glories-transformation/.

125 ArchEyes Team, “Illa Glòries by Cierto Estudio: Collective Housing and Urban Integration in Barcelona,” ArchEyes July 18, 2025, https://archeyes.com/illa-glories-by-cierto-estudio-collective-housing-and-urban-integration-in-barcelona/.a flexible and sustainable housing project in Barcelona that redefines collective living through spatial equity and care.”,”containertitle”:”ArchEyes”,”language”:”en-US”,”title”:”Illa Glòries by Cierto Estudio: Collective Housing and Urban Integration in Barcelona”,”title-short”:”Illa Glòries by Cierto Estudio”,”URL”:”https://archeyes. com/illa-glories-by-cierto-estudio-collective-housing-and-urban-integration-in-barcelona/”,”au thor”:[{“family”:”Team”,”given”:”ArchEyes”}],”accessed”:{“date-parts”:[[“2025”,12,18]]},”issued”:{“dateparts”:[[“2025”,7,18]]}}}],”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/ csl-citation.json”}

126 Cloudburst Management Plan 2012 (The City of Copenhagen, 2012).

127 “Cloudburst Management Plan - Copenhagen,” Interlace Hub, August 16, 2022, https://interlace-hub. com/cloudburst-management-plan-copenhagen.

128 “‘Sponge City’: Copenhagen Adapts to a Wetter Future,” Yale E360, accessed December 18, 2025, https://e360.yale.edu/features/copenhagen-sponge-cities.

129 Bahadır Altın, “Copenhagen’s Waterfront: A Model for Urban Renewal,” Meer, November 2, 2025, https://www.meer.com/en/85469-copenhagens-waterfront-a-model-for-urban-renewal.

130 “The Iberian Energy Transition: Seizing the Moment,” McKinsey & Company, July 30, 2024, https:// www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/the-iberian-greenindustrial-opportunity-seizing-the-moment.

131 Carlos Torres Vila and Ann Mettler, “Spain Is Leveraging Industrial Clusters to Lead Europe’s Energy Transition,” World Economic Forum, January 16, 2025, https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/ spain-energy-hubs-europe-energy-transition/.

132 “Ecoplanta, Spain’s First Circular Methanol Facility,” Repsol, accessed December 18, 2025, https:// www.repsol.com/en/sustainability/sustainability-pillars/environment/circular-economy/our-projects/transforming-waste-into-chemicals/index.cshtml.

133 Innovation Fund: Ecoplanta: Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Methanol Production from Municipal Non-Recyclable Waste (European Union, 2025).

134 “Eco-Aggregates,” Repsol, accessed December 18, 2025, https://www.repsol.com/en/sustainability/ sustainability-pillars/environment/circular-economy/our-projects/eco-aggregates/index.cshtml.

135 “About Us: Energy, Innovation, and Environmental Commitment,” Repsol, accessed December 18, 2025, https://www.repsol.com/en/about-us/index.cshtml.

136 Innovation Fund: Ecoplanta: Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Methanol Production from Municipal Non-Recyclable Waste

137 Horizon Europe May 25, 2025, https://eufundingportal.eu/horizon_europe/.

138 “Cohesion Fund,” accessed December 18, 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/ cohesion-fund_en.

139 “European Regional Development Fund,” European Commission, accessed December 18, 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/erdf_en.

140 “Spain: Greene Signs €224 Million Financing Deal with EIB and Santander to Invest in NonRecyclable Waste Recovery,” European Investment Bank, July 25, 2025, https://www.eib.org/en/ press/all/2025-298-spain-greene-signs-eur224-million-financing-deal-with-eib-and-santander-toinvest-in-non-recyclable-waste-recovery.

141 MIT CAU, ZUS, URBANISTEN, Deltares, Volker Infradesign, and 75B, The New Meadowlands (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism, 2014).

142 Rasmus Astrup, “The Social Spine,” SLA, accessed Dec. 11, 2025, https://www.sla.dk/cases/the-socialspine/

143 GRAMM, GREENSoundBlok 2025, https://www.grammbarriers.com/our-products/acoustic-noisebarriers/greensoundblok/.

144 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Land Cover Map of Catalonia.”

145 “Miami’s 10-Mile Linear Park and Urban Trail,” The Underline, December 18, 2025, https://www. theunderline.org/.

146 Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, “Digital Terrain Model 5m 2020 Raster Data,” Open ICGC QGIS Plugin, 2020, https://www.icgc.cat/en/Geoinformation-and-Maps/Data-and-products/ Bessons-digitals-Elevacions/5x5-m-Terrain-elevation-model.

147 WWF, “Seoul Cheonggyecheon River,” World Wildlife Fund, March 1, 2012, https://wwf.panda.org/ wwf_news/?204454/Seoul-Cheonggyecheon-river.

148 , “Ljuskonst i Tunnlar, Göteborg | White Arkitekter,” Pinterest, 2025, https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/21040323252344040/.