Europe’s most ‘well-designed city’ makes it perfect for walkability

A map of the district of Salamanca reveals that it is laid out in a grid pattern, with a few major boulevards bisecting the blocks. 

Such a layout means that walking around the area is really enjoyable – with everything you need, from bakeries to shops to right at your doorstep. It also has a world-class transport system.

But zoom further out and one notices that the entire capital city of is “insanely well designed,” as described by urbanism YouTube channel Sensato.

In the late 19th century, Madrid and other parts of Spain were beginning to industrialise, meaning that more and more people were moving to the cities from rural areas. City leaders in Madrid and also know that without a solid city plan in place, people would have to face problems.

So they developed a plan which built a city in a grid formation, which, while benefiting all the residents that have lived there, also makes this city a dream for wishing to explore it on foot.

Madrid’s grid system was born of a plan named “Plan Castro”. Barcelona’s counterpart was “Plan Creda”, one which has . 

The Plan Castro laid out a in the areas immediately outside of the old city walls – the first planned expansion of the city. 

Designed by Carlos Maria de Castro, it used the natural directionality of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain ridge and the Tagus valley as a basis. 

On the other side of the city’s highways is a huge amount of population density – almost as much as the city centre itself. Madrid slowly incremented outward through densely planned neighbourhoods even those in father away areas. 

Planned neighbourhoods in the eastern edges of the city can clearly be seen from above in grid-style. They are all set out in the same pattern –  groupings of multi-story apartment buildings with a central courtyard, laid out in a grid system with wide streets. Many of the buildings have commercial elements on the ground floor.

Madrid has one of the best systems in the world – a bonus for tourists wishing to rest their feet for a while. They are served by 12 metro lines, ten suburban lines, three tram lines and 200 bus lines. 

This extensive system, along with the density of both the core and the suburbs, means that 34 percent of trips in the entire metro area are made walking, while a quarter are made on transit. This means that 69 percent of all trips in the entire metro region do not involve cars. 

This also fantastic news for tourists not willing to rent a car to get around Madrid. In 2023, over 10.6 million tourists visited the capital, including both international and domestic visitors. Over half of visitors were from abroad, including from the US, the UK, , France and . 

Many of Europe’s cities are set out like a grid. Many were built on ancient grids established by the Empire, which they liked because it was easy to organise and expand and it provided easy access for the army. 

Even London has a “wobbly grid” that combines formal Roman roads with organic rippled roads from the river.