Sant Martí · 68
el Poblenou
Poblenou grew in the nineteenth century into Barcelona’s industrial district, the “Catalan Manchester”; since 2000 the 22@ plan has been transforming its factory land, and the Rambla, Can Felipa and the cemetery still stand among the changes.[1][2]
El Poblenou means “the new village”. In the nineteenth century it became a centre of Catalan industry, with factories and workers’ districts that earned it the name “Catalan Manchester”. Sant Martí de Provençals, the municipality it belonged to, joined Barcelona in 1897.[1][3]
The 1992 Olympic Games set the transformation of the area in motion. Since 2000 the 22@ plan has turned the former industrial area into a district of innovation and technology, with lofts, galleries and studios in old warehouses.[1][2]
el Poblenou (neighbourhood 68) highlighted. Other neighbourhoods in Sant Martí: el Camp de l'Arpa del Clot, el Clot, el Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, la Vila Olímpica del Poblenou, Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou, el Besòs i el Maresme.
Where the name comes from
Etymology: certain[3]
El Poblenou means “the new village”: before it was part of Barcelona it was a separate settlement. Today the name designates the official neighbourhood, but it is also used for other neighbouring neighbourhoods of Sant Martí.[3]
El Poblenou is one of several Sant Martí neighbourhoods that carry the name: its neighbours are Provençals del Poblenou, el Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, la Vila Olímpica del Poblenou and Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou. Rambla del Poblenou runs from the Gran Via to near Bogatell beach.[4][3]
How the streets were made
Rambla del Poblenou, formerly Passeig del Triomf, runs from the Gran Via to near Bogatell beach and is street number 50 on Cerdà’s plan. Today it is the neighbourhood’s shopping axis.[4][3]
Can Felipa began in 1856 as Felipe Ferrando’s small bleaching works; the Vilà family bought and expanded it in 1877. It closed in 1978 and, after neighbourhood campaigning, became a swimming pool (1989) and a civic centre (1991).[5]
Dates that changed it
- 1816–1819: the Poblenou cemetery, destroyed in 1813, is rebuilt to Antonio Ginesi’s design.[6]
- 1856: Felipe Ferrando founds the bleaching works that becomes Can Felipa.[5]
- 1897: Sant Martí de Provençals loses its municipal independence and joins Barcelona.[1]
- 1978: Can Felipa closes; neighbourhood campaigning later turns it into a public facility.[5]
- 1989–1991: the swimming pool (1989) and civic centre (1991) open at Can Felipa.[5]
- 2000: the 22@ plan is approved.[1][2]
- 2022: on 7 June the “22@ 2022” modification comes into force.[7][1]
- 2025–2026: at Can Ricart, a phase of urbanisation finishes in October 2025 and the Casal de Joves annex nave opens in January 2026.[8][9]
Institutions
Struggles that left a mark
What can still be seen
Can Felipa
The main building is a factory of Nordic-inspired design with large windows; a modernist side building carries a medallion with the number 17.[5]
Cementiri del Poblenou
Antonio Ginesi rebuilt it in 1816–1819 with Egyptian references such as solar discs and pyramid forms; the main portal is by Josep Mas i Vila (1840).[6]
What disappeared
The first Poblenou cemetery
The cemetery inaugurated in 1775 was destroyed during the French occupation in 1813; the present one is the rebuilding of 1816–1819.[6]
Can Felipa as a working factory
Can Felipa worked for about a century from the 1856 bleaching works; it began cutting its workforce in 1974 and closed in 1978.[5]
The neighbourhood today
In 2026 Poblenou had 34,736 residents, 221.7 residents per hectare, a mean census-section income of €27,093 in 2023, 156.7 hectares, and 27.1% of residents held non-Spanish nationality.[1][2]
Non-Spanish nationality (2026): 27.1%
What is changing
22@Barcelona plan (since 2000)
The 22@ plan was approved in 2000 to turn the old industrial area into an innovation district. Since 7 June 2022 the “22@ 2022” modification has applied, allowing co-living in some areas and banning student residences and tourist accommodation in the new zones.[7][1]
Can Ricart, a protected former textile-printing factory, lies mostly in the neighbouring neighbourhood of Provençals del Poblenou. In 2023 it was described as heritage “languishing” while 22@ grew around it. In October 2025 the city council finished a phase of urbanisation with new squares and public connections, including the extension of Carrer d’Emília Coranty (4,390 m² of the project’s 17,923 m²); about 13,533 m² remain for later phases. In January 2026 the rehabilitated annex nave of the Casal de Joves del Poblenou–Can Ricart came into use. The transformation remains incomplete.[8][9][10]
Read it on foot
Start: Metro L4 Poblenou / tram T4 · End: Cementiri del Poblenou (Carrer del Taulat)
Walking (excluding stop time): 25 min · 1840 m · Estimated visit (with stops): 65 min
The geometry follows the pedestrian network between the three marked points, but the route has not been verified as step-free. The approach from public transport is not included in the stated distance.
el Poblenou (neighbourhood 68) highlighted. Other neighbourhoods in Sant Martí: el Camp de l'Arpa del Clot, el Clot, el Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, la Vila Olímpica del Poblenou, Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou, el Besòs i el Maresme.
Coordinates
Coordinates
Coordinates
Sources for this page
Dates, figures and historical claims are linked to the records used for this page.
- [1] Daniel Paül i Agustí (2014). De Manchester català a districte de la innovació. Els canvis urbanístics al Poblenou. Accessed: 2026-07-16.
- [2] 22@Barcelona / District Energy Award materials (2011). 22@. Sant Martí District. Barcelona Public-private enterprise. Accessed: 2026-07-16.
- [3] Wikipedia (2026). El Poblenou. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [4] Viquipèdia (2026). Rambla del Poblenou. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [5] Viquipèdia (2026). Can Felipa. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [6] Viquipèdia (2026). Cementiri del Poblenou. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [7] Uría Menéndez (2022). Modificación del Plan General Metropolitano de Barcelona (MPGM 22@2022). Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [8] Barcelona al Día (nota de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona) (2025-10-08). Finaliza una nueva fase de urbanización del recinto histórico de Can Ricart. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [9] Metrópoli Abierta (nota de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona) (2026-01-18). Barcelona completa la restauración de una histórica fábrica protegida del siglo XIX tras invertir un millón de euros. Accessed: 2026-10-03.
- [10] 3CatInfo (2023-02-05). Can Ricart, un conjunt patrimonial que llangueix enmig de la transformació del 22@. Accessed: 2026-07-16.
- [11] Ajuntament de Barcelona — Open Data BCN (2026-01-01). Padró municipal d'habitants (pad_mdbas) — població per barri. Accessed: 2026-07-17.
- [12] Ajuntament de Barcelona — Open Data BCN (2021). Densitat de població per barri. Accessed: 2026-07-17.
- [13] Ajuntament de Barcelona — Open Data BCN (2023). Renda disponible de les llars per persona. Seccions censals. Accessed: 2026-07-17.
Last reviewed: 3 October 2026 · 13 sources consulted