The Rec Comtal is one of the most important hydraulic infrastructures of Barcelona, having suppled the city with water and irrigated the territory of the Besós agricultural basin from the 10th century to the mid-20th. Because of urban growth, a large part of the Rec Comtal has disappeared. The only section that maintains running water is located in the Vallbona neighborhood, which accounts for only 5% of the Rec’s total 14.56 kilometers.

To recover the lost stretches, a process of renaturation and environmental restoration was carried out at two degraded and abandoned points of the neighborhood. The operation included planting riverside vegetation and macrophyte species, which improved the quality of the water, generated more shade to keep the river temperature down, and created a fitting habitat for those fish, bird, and amphibian species in recovery. The green corridor regulates the urban microclimates and generates climate shelters, contributing to improving the life of citizens.

On the other hand, two new light structures configured with corrugated profiles resting on preexisting elements like sewer pipes and retaining walls enable one to get close to the water. At the same time, new biodiversity viewpoints act as landscape elements, and these will be extended to other points of the Rec Comtal route.