Our new urban health impact study analysing the long-term effects of the Cornellà Natura programme has been published, with its results recently covered by the Spanish newspaper El Periódico.
The study, commissioned by the City Council of Cornellà de Llobregat and carried out by Healthy Cities, assesses more than a decade of urban transformation measures focused on renaturalisation, sustainable mobility, and public-space reallocation.
A decade of green urban transformation
The analysis shows that, through Cornellà Natura, the city has implemented 27 major interventions over the past ten years, supported by a combined public investment of €24 million. These actions have resulted in:
- 12,279 m² of new pedestrian space, previously dominated by car use
- A 12.3% increase in urban green space
- More than 10 km of new cycling infrastructure
- An 11.8% reduction in CO₂ emissions since 2018
Beyond environmental indicators, the study quantifies clear public-health benefits. Increased physical activity linked to calmer streets and improved walkability translates into an estimated €218 per person per year in health-care savings, as well as a measurable increase in life expectancy.
Health, cohesion, and long-term planning
The findings underline that the impacts of green urbanism go beyond infrastructure. The transformation of streets and squares into greener, safer, and more accessible spaces has increased the everyday use of public space and strengthened social interaction across neighbourhoods.
The study also highlights improvements in air quality, reduced reliance on private cars, and a growing uptake of electric mobility, while noting that further action remains necessary to meet future EU and WHO air-quality targets, particularly near major traffic corridors.
Importantly, Cornellà Natura is framed as a long-term, open-ended strategy. While the study captures data largely up to 2023, additional interventions have already been delivered through EU NextGeneration funding, with further measures planned as part of the city’s ongoing urban development agenda.
Media coverage
El Periódico reported on the study’s results, highlighting Cornellà de Llobregat as an example of how sustained investment in green urbanism can deliver measurable environmental, health, and economic benefits over time.
🔗 Read the original article (in Spanish):
https://www.elperiodico.com/es/barcelona/20260114/cornella-ganado-12-000-metros-cuadrados-peatones-decada-urbanismo-verde-125530978
🔗 Document Link:
https://www.cornella.cat/ca/viure-a-cornella/cornella-natura/cornella-natura/el-projecte-cornella-natura
