The winning project, headed by the architect Carles Enrich, is called “Arrels.” This urban program has been presented as ‘a city micro-model’ and proposes to ‘return to the roots and take advantage of the rich public legacy of Vallcarca.’ The project concentrates on reforming the sewage system, fountains, and landscaping of the district; for example, one plan is to replenish overheated soil by planting numerous trees.
As Arrels’ team of developers maintains, the project in question foresees a more rational use of street infrastructure as well as the elimination of unused spaces. Moreover, problematic terrain in the district will be improved by the construction of special zones that reduce height fluctuations in the land to under 4%.
In order to implement the project, the government will have to modify another initiative, Plan General Metropolitano (PGM). According to Eloi Badia, the representative of the district of Gràcia, this program was launched in 2002 and suspended shortly afterwards. It was aimed at converting Vallcarca into a completely residential area without any commercial entities, but today this plan is considered to be outdated. However, it will take some time for Arrels’ changes to be introduced, as certain bureaucracy issues must be resolved first.