Architecture + Cities Research Forum: “Decoding the Media Framing and Political Discourse Around Barcelona’s Urban Transformation 2016-2024” by Serena Mombelli

In this seminar, visiting researcher at the ATA, Serena Mombelli presented her work on the political discourse surrounding superblocks and low-traffic neighbourhoods as models for sustainable urban change in Barcelona between 2016 and 2024. Media coverage plays a key role in shaping competing narratives around these interventions, influencing public support or opposition – particularly in politically polarised contexts such as local elections. Despite the growing importance of such interventions, systematic research on their media representation remains limited and largely qualitative, a gap her study aimed to address.