Metropolitan-Scale Urban Renewal Underway
The future Clínic-UB health and research campus, set for completion by 2035, will catalyse a major transformation across three municipalities: Barcelona, l'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat. The project, backed by a €1.7bn investment, includes a new Hospital Clínic, a restructured Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Barcelona (UB), and a new Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences in Esplugues. The urban development framework (PDU) for the Porta Diagonal-Campus Clínic covers 695,230 square metres, with 36.17% of the land in Barcelona, 33.99% in l'Hospitalet and 29.84% in Esplugues. This cross-municipal scope reflects the project’s role as a metropolitan driver of growth in healthcare, research, housing and public transport.
This is not just a hospital expansion. It’s a metropolitan regeneration project that will generate jobs, improve access to care and reconnect fragmented urban areas.
A consortium of institutions is leading the project: the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan Health Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, UB, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), the Diputació de Barcelona, and the city councils of the three affected municipalities.
New University and Health Facilities by 2035
Construction of the Clínic-UB health campus is scheduled to begin in 2030, with completion expected by 2035. The campus will span 12.7 hectares and include the new hospital, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, a residence for researchers and medical residents, and support services such as catering. The new Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences in Esplugues will be built on a 12,000-square-metre plot behind the Finestrelles shopping centre. With a €152m investment, it will open for the 2032–2033 academic year, increasing student capacity by 30% to accommodate 3,000 students. The UB will receive a €17.5m grant from the Generalitat to support this development. The Generalitat purchased the land for the main campus from the UB for €135m in early 2026. The site currently hosts UB sports facilities, which will remain operational until construction begins.
Transport, Housing and Green Infrastructure
The urban plan includes significant upgrades to public infrastructure. Metro line L3 will finally extend into Esplugues de Llobregat, fulfilling a long-standing demand. Road networks and junctions will be redesigned to improve accessibility and pedestrian safety. Approximately 1,125 new homes will be built, half of them public housing. Of these, 800 will be in l'Hospitalet, reducing the density previously planned for the Can Rigal area, and 325 in Barcelona. The land allocation breaks down as 63% for health, education and research, 23% for economic activity, 10% for housing and 4% for local facilities. Three new green spaces will connect the three municipalities, enhancing ecological continuity. The Collblanc electrical substation will be relocated and compacted, likely underground, to free up space for development, a complex engineering task already in planning.
Approval Timeline and Next Steps
The definitive approval of the PDU is expected by mid-2028. Once approved, the full development can proceed, though some elements may extend beyond the 2035 target for the core health and university campus. The project originated in 2021, when the Catalan Government, Barcelona City Council and Diputació de Barcelona began evaluating locations for the new complex. Now, with the framework approved and funding secured, the transformation of this metropolitan corridor is set in motion.
Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya. Reported by lavanguardia.com, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, La Vanguardia Barcelona.
