Mobility Modeling in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona to Evaluate the PDU

The Barcelona Metropolitan Area requires, for the Metropolitan Urban Master Plan (PDU), an evaluation of the mobility generated across the metropolitan region by different modes of transport and under various urban transformation scenarios. The PDU is a strategic urban planning instrument and serves as a bridge between the territorial planning of the Barcelona Metropolitan Territorial Plan (PTMB) and the general planning of the Metropolitan General Plan (PGM). Urban planning and mobility are directly related: the organization of the city and land use determine transport demand, which in turn influences infrastructure, the urban layout, and the provision of transport services.

Likewise, infrastructure, transport services, and the effects of mobility on the urban environment influence land use and urban form. The PDU must integrate projected mobility analysis with the urban planning guidelines of the metropolis of the future.

CARNET collaborated with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) in a 9-month duration project to model mobility demand for the evaluation of the PDU. This plan will assess the mobility generated in the metropolitan region by different transport modes under various urban transformation scenarios.

The project is structured in two phases. The first phase involved creating a demand model chain based on the four-step model framework. In the second phase, the mobility demand forecasts were developed for the different timelines and scenarios of urban growth and transport infrastructure development defined in the PDU.

Transportation planning tools (VISUM, PTV-AG) and statistical software (RStudio) have been used for the estimation and validation of the developed models, using multiple data sources. The consistent merging and integration of these data sources is a key aspect of this project.

Traditionally, urban plans have been developed without considering the transport demand induced by new developments. With the integration of demand models into a planning platform such as PTV-AG’s VISUM, it is now possible to more accurately model the impact of the urban developments proposed in the new Metropolitan Urban Plan on the road network and public transport system of the AMB.