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Located on the east coast of Spain, Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in the north east of the Iberian Peninsula. It is a leading tourist, economic and cultural centre, influencing global trends in media, fashion, science and the arts.

The city has a population of 1.5 million and in economic terms is one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean and Europe’s ninth largest container port.

Barcelona has an extensive motorway network and is a hub of high-speed rail links with cities in France, Spain and Portugal. The urban area is confined between the sea and the Collserola Mountains, and, like most Mediterranean cities, is very densely populated.

The public transport network includes a metro, bus network and tram lines, as well as several funiculars and cable cars. In 2007, the city council introduced the successful Bicing public bicycle service, comprising 100 rental stations around the city.

CIVITAS measures were aimed at securing cleaner and more efficient urban mobility by integrating the public transport system, restricting car access, introducing new concepts for goods distribution and increasing the number of clean vehicles in the public transport fleet.