Rethinking the coastline

On October 28, 1848, when the Barcelona-Mataró railway line (the first in the entire Iberian Peninsula) was inaugurated, few could imagine the inconveniences and setbacks this decision would entail. On the contrary, it was a time of joy and economic expansion, the dawn of capitalism and the culmination of an Industrial Revolution that peaked with this remarkable invention.

Soon, companies proliferated, implementing railways throughout Spain, drawn to their immense capacity to transport passengers and goods compared to the rudimentary animal traction methods used until then. For technical reasons, the performance of these locomotives decreased with more wagons, thus limiting the maximum gradient of these “iron roads.” Consequently, their routes were always designed to favor areas with minimal elevation changes.

The Mediterranean and major rivers have always been key to commerce and high-capacity transport, so the first railway lines followed coastlines and river basins, connecting major ports and cities. In a few years, thousands of kilometers of tracks were laid, often in parallel, to double the capacity or frequency of travel, as well as sidings for train repairs and maintenance.

This growth left large parts of the territory marginalized, literally “on the margins” of the railway line. One of the “qualities” of railway lines is precisely their ability to separate territories, making their later reconnection challenging.

The invention of the automobile later only served to consolidate this exponential growth. Roads and asphalt complemented the railway network, almost always following the same routes, aiming to enhance and connect increasingly polarized cities. Today, we observe with astonishment how road infrastructures stack up in the narrow natural corridor between Collserola and the Serralada de Marina, particularly at the passage between Ciutat Meridiana and Montcada i Reixac.

A territory aspiring to a balanced future must rethink this unsustainable growth. And while it may seem difficult, it is possible.

Perhaps, after all, climate change will force us to adopt sustainability when rethinking the coastline.

Some of us remember how Barcelona’s coastline was transformed under the guidance of Oriol Bohigas, recently deceased, and how train tracks were replaced with sandy beaches. Who hasn’t said or heard at some point that pre-1992 Barcelona turned its back on the sea? In one of his many interviews, Bohigas highlighted the importance of reclaiming these beaches as public spaces for leisure and recreation. Today, no one can imagine Barcelona without this fabulous legacy for its inhabitants.

This remains an unresolved issue for the coastline of Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, and Maresme. To the appearance of the Barcelona-Mataró railway more than 170 years ago was added another track in the opposite direction and a road along the seafront. Over time, various proposals have emerged to relocate the train tracks, as well as to pacify or tame the N-II road in Maresme or alleviate the C-31 while diverting train routes in the towns of Baix Llobregat. However, despite the addition of roundabouts and the recent removal of some tolls, the inertia of these infrastructures remains too entrenched to envision a real transformation of the coastline. We have normalized the disconnection of Maresme towns from the coast, the narrow underground passageways to access beaches—often flooded—and the tragic accidents caused when crossing roads or railway tracks.

Perhaps the undeniable reality of climate change will give us no further reprieve. We must act, and time is short, given the scale of transformation required. Events such as Storm Gloria or Filomena’s blizzard are dangerously becoming normalized by a population that fails to grasp that they are the prelude to a profound challenge for humanity. We often hear about the need to adapt to climate change, and the response usually comes in the form of solar panels or “responsible” consumption. Yet, there are few serious studies on the relocation of cities and human settlements due to rising sea levels caused by global warming and polar ice melting.

Following the hesitant commitments at COP26 by the most polluting countries, our coastlines must urgently be rethought. We might be able to avoid a drastic and irreversible rise in sea levels, but it is already evident that continuous storms are rendering roads and railways unusable.

There are numerous studies on relocating trains and roads inland, some as curious as tunneling railway tracks beneath the C-32 or placing them over the sea on viaducts supported by pillars. However, the linear growth of Maresme towns along roads and railway tracks offers the possibility of creating new central hubs in the inland areas of municipalities, near their gravitational centers, with new stations and clusters of economic and urban activity. This could compensate for the potential benefit (or gentrification) resulting from the removal of trains and roads in the seaside neighborhoods.

We might grow accustomed to living for years with trains and cars passing in front of our beaches, but we cannot face the magnitude of nature’s changes without relocating the infrastructures along our coasts. This time, there won’t be an Olympics to compel us to transform the territory. Perhaps, after all, climate change will force us to embrace sustainability in rethinking the coastline.