Barcelona City Council plans to renovate Poeta Boscà square in Barceloneta, adding an accessible children’s play area and water-play features while replacing damaged paving above the Barceloneta Market underground car park.

The works, for which a tender has been published, will cover 4,333 square metres and are expected to cost more than €1.16 million. For families using the square and market visitors crossing it on foot, the project is intended to create more play options and improve the safety of uneven surfaces.

According to reporting on the City Council project, construction is due to begin in spring 2027 and last about seven months.

Accessible play area and summer cooling space

The existing children’s area will be enlarged towards the south of the square and reorganised to improve links between its different sections. The new equipment will follow universal-design standards, allowing children with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities to use it.

A new water-play area connected to the playground will provide a free place for children to cool down during hot weather. It will join two existing water-play spaces in Ciutat Vella, the central district containing Barceloneta, at Plaça de les Caramelles in Raval and Plaça de Carme Simó.

  • The project will renew a substantial part of the square’s paving.
  • Repairs will focus on the surface above the market’s underground car park, where use and age have caused damage and uneven areas.
  • The City Council says the changes will improve pedestrian accessibility and comfort across the square.

Part of Barceloneta’s €46 million investment programme

The square scheme is included in Barceloneta’s €46 million investment programme within the Ciutat Vella District. The City Council has said that about 70% of that programme, which covers public spaces, facilities and housing, has already been carried out.

The Poeta Boscà renovation was agreed with Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya as part of the 2025 municipal budget agreement. Nearby, the council has installed six awnings five metres above the ground in front of Barceloneta Market, providing shade across almost 300 square metres.

Residents should expect the project to move into construction from spring 2027, subject to the tender process, with the work scheduled to take around seven months.

Reported by barnadiario.com, Barna Diario.