Tune Our Block project, funded by JPI Urban Europe, has spent three years investigating this question, revealing crucial insights about implementation strategies, measurement frameworks, and the vital importance of community engagement.
From Barcelona to Europe at large: A standard definition of a superblock
The project first tackled a fundamental challenge through extensive consultation with 55 European experts: establishing a clear definition of what constitutes a superblock. The resulting definition describes how superblocks leverage traffic reorganisation and public space reallocation to support urban sustainability transitions. Project coordinator Ulrich Leth says, “By dramatically reducing motor vehicle through-routes, superblocks transform cities into mosaics of traffic-calmed neighbourhoods large enough to promote systemic change, prioritising active mobility, climate adaptation, and inclusive public life.”
While the concept originated in Barcelona’s grid-like streets, similar approaches exist under different names – from London’s low-traffic neighbourhoods to Dutch Woonerfs. This diversity of approaches led the project to develop comprehensive frameworks for understanding and measuring success across different urban contexts.
Measuring Impact: From Theory to Practice
One of the project’s most significant contributions is identifying 88 indicators for assessing superblock implementation. Ulrich explains, “Early attempts at measurement often focused on complex factors like acoustic comfort and biodiversity indices. However, the project’s investigation revealed that simpler, more measurable indicators are more valuable in practice.” These include population density, distribution of public space, and proximity to green spaces.
Building on these insights, project partner Changing Cities developed a practical three-tier evaluation framework. First, there is the minimum standard, which focuses on basic interventions like traffic barriers to prevent through traffic. Second, there is the regular standard, which incorporates improved pedestrian infrastructure and initial redistribution of public space. Lastly, the gold standard represents comprehensive transformation, including extensive green areas, complete street redesigns, and a significant reduction in parking spaces.
The Implementation Triangle: Scale, Scope, and Speed
Through studying implementations across Europe, the project discovered a crucial interrelation between scale, scope, and speed of implementation. In terms of scale, while individual superblocks can improve local conditions, networks of superblocks create more significant systemic change. However, the research also revealed that faster implementation often leads to greater public resistance, challenging common assumptions about tactical urbanism approaches.
This finding emerged clearly in both test cities, Vienna and Berlin. In Vienna, where planning follows a centralised approach, rapid implementation met significant resistance. Meanwhile, Berlin’s experience with 60-70 citizen initiatives over five years demonstrated how bottom-up approaches, though slower, often generate more robust community support.
How to Build Community Support
The project’s research clearly demonstrated the crucial importance of early, transparent communication in building public support. Different demographic groups prefer different engagement formats—some respond well to formal letters explaining changes, while others prefer participating in public discussions. The project produced detailed guidelines outlining various engagement formats, providing cities with practical tools for building community support.
One crucial insight that policymakers should note is the importance of clearly defining negotiable and non-negotiable elements before beginning public consultations. Cities found that failure to establish these boundaries early often led to community disappointment and resistance when particular suggestions couldn’t be implemented.
International Knowledge Exchange
Another key success of the project was its international superblock meetings. These meetings evolved into a powerful platform for knowledge sharing. Starting with nine cities and growing to fifteen, these gatherings enabled cities to learn from each other despite differences in political contexts and planning regulations.
A prime example emerged in discussions about ‘diagonal filters’— bollards that prevent vehicles from crossing intersections diagonally within superblocks. When Vienna was struggling with ensuring emergency vehicle access, other cities shared their solutions, ranging from simple removable bollards to remote-controlled bollard systems. This practical knowledge-sharing helped cities avoid common pitfalls and gave planners confidence in their approaches.
The project also established municipal peer groups, creating spaces for stakeholders from city initiatives and administrations to discuss challenges informally. These groups proved particularly valuable in Germany, where multiple cities are currently implementing superblock concepts simultaneously.
Scientific Impact and Health Benefits
On the academic front, the project has produced three valuable academic papers, each addressing different aspects of superblock implementation. The first paper investigated health and climate outcomes in Vienna, revealing that superblocks in more deprived areas can deliver 2-3 times greater benefits in terms of greenhouse gas reductions and public health improvements compared to more affluent areas. This finding has important implications for cities considering where to prioritise implementation.
The second paper examines how different cities frame the superblock narrative, providing insights into which messages resonate in different contexts. The third paper, forthcoming, titled “Superblocks between theory and practice,” explores how the project developed its practical definition of superblocks through both the e-Delphi process involving 55 European experts and practical insights from the project’s urban living labs in Vienna and Berlin.
A Model for Urban Transformation
The growth of interest in implementing Superblocks in Berlin – from a handful of initiatives to dozens in just five years – demonstrates the concept’s appeal to communities. However, the project’s findings suggest success requires striking a careful balance between speed of implementation and community engagement. While climate change creates urgency for action, sustainable transformation of urban spaces demands thoughtful planning and consideration of local contexts.
The project has shown that superblocks represent a promising tool for achieving climate targets and improving urban life. However, their success depends on careful attention to implementation, robust community engagement, and cross-city learning. Tune Our Block has provided a valuable roadmap for cities considering superblock implementation through its combination of implementation insights and its facilitation of city-to-city learning.