In 1818 Barcelona had 83000 inhabitants. On 1850 this number increased, it reached 187000 inhabitants, but the city walls made its expansion impossible. The city could only grow in height.
This place with small narrow streets lacked of space and infrastructures. The houses were unventilated and the hygienic conditions were dreadful. Life expectancy was 36 years old for the bourgeoisie and 23 years old for the lower classes.
In 1841 The City Council of Barcelona announced a competition of ideas about the advantages of breaking down the walls. The winner was Pere Felip Monlau, a doctor and hygienist the idea was entitled “Abajo las Murallas”. The same year Jaume Balmes, philosopher and theologian, published a series of the advantages of a city without walls.
In 1854 Madrid authorized the walls' demolition.
The plan Cerdà, Ensanche or enlargement, was approved in 1859. Around 1870 “La Fiebre de Oro” took place: people who were coming from the American colonies and were became rich there had resources to invest at the urbanistic development of the Ensanche. The number of inhabitants increased. This “building fever” contributed to reduce the green areas planed by Cerdà.
The Universal Exhibition of Barcelona in 1888 allowed the restoration of some areas and the creation of public services.
One main ideas from the Pla Cerdà was to combine country side aspects with an urban life.
Cerdà planned to implemented the system of green spaces. He designed all the streets with trees and all the “islands” with indoor gardens.
During this time society was clearly divided in two social classes.
The Bourgeoisie: Catalan bourgeoisie mainly obtain its resources from the colonies and from the textile factories. They invested their money in beautiful modernists buildings designed by architects as Domenech i Montaner or Puig i Cadafalch to show their power. This style was opposite to the Cerdà spirit, much more equalitarian.
The Proletariat: they were concentred in industrial cities and suffered permanently from hard working conditions (long working hours, poor hygiene) and insecurity (wage cuts in times of crisis, lack of social protection, illiteracy). They awareness of their precarious situation led to protests and organized claim.
In Catalunya was created an important textile industry, thanks to the advancement of the economy, protectionism and free trade with the American colonies.
The architect Antoni Gaudí designed and built a worker city were workers lived called “the Colonia Guell” following the spirit and the ideas of Cerdà. It was one of the most modern workers cities from that time and workers lived there in enjoyable conditions.
