In this article of our series ‘Exploring CulturalRoad’s Demo Sites’, we turn to Barcelona and the Catalonian region in Spain. This vibrant area will serve as a testing ground where the project partners will implement a bottom-up participatory approach to enhance safety and efficiency of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) services.
Catalonia: a region of contrasts and opportunities
The city of Barcelona has a population of 5.5 million and a GDP per capita of €46,000. Barcelona boasts one of Europe’s highest population densities in its centre, contrasting with more sparsely populated areas around it, particularly in Central Catalonia.
Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny summers and mild winters. The city is known for its delicious and renowned regional cuisine, from well-known dishes like arròs negre, tapes, or fresh seafood like esqueixada de bacallà to Catalan specialties such as crema catalana or pan amb tomàque.
The transport network is very extensive and encompasses bus, tram, and metro services. However, the CCAM maturity level is considered low to medium, with some notable demonstrations such as the LogiSmile project for last-mile distribution or the Erika project, which introduced the first autonomous bus in Catalonia. Current research focuses on integrating freight and public transport CCAM into master planning.
CulturalRoad partner Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) works with 296 municipalities of Catalonia. This public institution coordinates, plans and manages the integrated mobility system in the Barcelona area, facilitating 924 million journeys in 2022, including a total of 2652 buses divided into 807 bus lines and between 145 and 165 metro convoys, depending on the hour of the day, moving across 424 stations.
In recent years, various projects working on improving the public transport network have yielded remarkable results, including the union of the two tram networks in Barcelona and the creation of the low emissions zone or new payment methods, among others.
In addition, various plans and initiatives have been conducted to enhance infrastructure, accessibility and safety. These include the Infrastructure Master Plan 2021-2030 and the Mobility Master Plan 2025-2030 for sustainable transit improvements. The Urban Goods Distribution (DUM) optimises logistics, while the Urban Planning Master Plan (PDU) focuses on park-and-ride facilities. An Anti-Sexual Harassment Plan ensures workplace safety, while the Company Travel Plan (PDE) promotes efficient commuting, and the Workday Mobility Survey gathers data to refine mobility strategies. Together, these plans drive more sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions. More information is available here (in Catalan).
A vision for CCAM in CulturalRoad
Within CulturalRoad, the main objective of the Catalonia demonstration is to develop a CCAM deployment map for the region, covering both passenger and freight transport. The focus will be on using participatory methods to enhance passenger and collective transport services and expand the existing public transport network. The results from the CulturalRoad two-step co-creation framework, a fundamental aspect of our bottom-up participatory approach to engage citizens and stakeholders, will inform the update of the initial top-down CCAM deployment map created by our partners ATM and CARNET.
The automation of public transport in Barcelona requires a strong emphasis on both efficiency and safety. CulturalRoad partner Ficosa will play a pivotal by leveraging their safety model, which incorporates the following innovative capabilities:
- Pedestrian detection: A camera inside the vehicle captures images frame by frame, enabling the system to identify pedestrians, even when partially obscured by other objects or individuals.
- Movement prediction: By analysing the position and motions of pedestrians, the system can predict their next movement, such as whether they are likely to cross the street.
- Attention analysis: The system determines whether a pedestrian is paying attention to an approaching vehicle based on the orientation of their head.
- User differentiation: The model identifies diverse pedestrian types, including people with crutches, those who are visually impaired, or users in wheelchairs.
Ficosa’s model creates specific patterns for each type of user to adapt vehicle responses to all types of situations.
The Catalonia demo site exemplifies how innovation, collaboration, and citizen engagement can drive meaningful progress in automated mobility. The region offers an ideal setting to showcase how CCAM solutions can improve safety, efficiency, and equity in transport systems.
