Can you imagine a city without cars, where only the noise of birds and children playing fills the air?

In the Catalonian capital of Barcelona, what was once a dream of environmentalists is now becoming a reality as the city turns over streets full of cars to open spaces with trees playgrounds and even a running track.

Children playing in Barcelona superblock area.

Superblocks is a scheme to reclaim once busy streets from the noise and pollution of traffic.

By doing this Barcelona thinks that it can extend the lives of its residents by eradicating the heavily polluted air and laying down a green blueprint that can be copied by other cities around the world.

Hundreds of superblocks are being planned

So far Barcelona has just six superblocks, but there are hundreds more being planned for the future.

Each superblock comprises nine existing blocks that are joined together into an area that bans all but essential traffic with deliveries to shops and businesses regulated to certain hours of the day.