Barcelona City Council has begun processing the "Special urban development plan for new activities in car parks in the city of Barcelona". This new regulation aims to allow rotation car parks to accommodate activities complementary to car parking.
The text mainly provides for car parks to accommodate activities such as loading and unloading, goods distribution and activities related to the collection of small parcels. This includes micro-distribution points for lorries and vans to unload parcels that are then delivered by more sustainable vehicles and lockers for the collection of online purchases.
Barcelona is thus consolidating the pilot tests of this type of activity promoted by Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM) in its network of car parks. This regulates and promotes services such as the 50 or so Click&Collect points, the eight micro-distribution centres for goods and the four refrigerated lockers of Mercats de Barcelona that already exist today in different BSM car parks.
The extension of this type of initiative will make it possible to reduce the occupation of public thoroughfares, given that different packages can be delivered at a single stop in a single locker. At the same time, greater efficiency is also achieved by reducing the number of kilometres travelled by distributors, which reduces pollution and noise. In addition, empty returns are eliminated, since the packages are deposited in a space where the consumer will go to pick them up and, in the event that he does not, the return is facilitated by taking advantage of the carrier's usual route.
Concentrating the distribution of goods in car parks also makes it possible to deliver at night, reducing nuisance to the neighbourhood and road congestion.
The text also regulates other existing services in the car parks such as electric vehicle charging, battery exchange stations or the installation of ATMs and vending machines.
After the initial approval, the new regulation will begin to be processed with a view to achieving final approval, with a period of public exposure and the corresponding process of citizen participation.