Jordi Marfà Vives, Barcelona

Meet Jordi Marfà Vives – Nominated by the Barcelona City Council 

An exemplar for city's around the world

For the city council’s urban strategists in Barcelona, there is a lot that has already been achieved but there is also still much to be done to improve sustainability in the city.

When architect Jordi Marfà Vives joined the city’s Urban Strategy Department, he embraced an exciting new opportunity working on the city's innovative Superblocks program. The flagship program has successfully reclaimed public space from cars to promote pedestrian-friendly areas and has been widely hailed as an example for other cities to follow.  

Jordi expressed his enthusiasm about being able to work in an area with a broad urban focus.

"Architects should work at very different scales – from project detail to metropolitan understanding. Joining the Urban Strategy Department has been a great opportunity for me, and I am very happy to work at this larger scale because it helps you to see the whole of a city, without forgetting the detail of its smaller parts," he said. 

Jordi's current role in the department involves designing public spaces, and although not all these projects exclusively deal with it, mobility remains an important issue affecting the success of these reimagined urban areas.

Navigating complex landscapes

Reflecting on his selection for the EIT Urban Mobility Emerging Leaders program, he said he is looking forward to developing his leadership skills to help him navigate the complex landscape of urban planning. 

“I’m keen to examine how effective communication can support the change that’s needed for cities as well as how to better engage with stakeholder groups," he said. 

Jordi has directly encountered the inherent difficulties and frustrations of urban planning, explaining that even though he might see a clear way to improve the city, it may not always be possible to implement the idea due to conflicting ideas and priorities among other stakeholders.

However, he sees this challenge as an opportunity to help him listen, understand and negotiate better.

Continuous improvement

Jordi also hopes that the leadership skills gained from the EIT program will enhance his ability to implement transformative ideas that will improve the city of Barcelona for its inhabitants. 

Discussing Barcelona's strengths in urban mobility, Jordi praised the city's public transport network and conditions for active mobility.

However, he also acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly the need to further reduce private car usage and enhance infrastructure for biking and walking, a vision that will no doubt be realised in the future thanks – at least partly – to his personal dedication to improving his home city.