▁of ▁the ▁new ▁century . ▁Despite ▁the ▁contest , ▁C erd à ' s ▁plan ▁( which ▁was ▁heavily ▁critic ised ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁by ▁his ▁contempor aries ▁as ▁being ▁over t ly ▁social ist ) ▁weather ed ▁the ▁controvers y ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁E ix ample ▁district , ▁as ▁it ▁retained ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁Spanish ▁government . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁forty ▁years , ▁as ▁the ▁plan ▁took ▁hold ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁began ▁to ▁spraw l , ▁the ▁E ix ample ▁rapidly ▁pushed ▁Barcelona ' s ▁borders ▁closer ▁and ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁long - in dependent ▁municipality ▁of ▁Gr à cia . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁Barcelona ▁formally ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Gr à cia , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁existed ▁since ▁as ▁a ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁the ▁Catal an ▁capital . ▁Although ▁no ▁longer ▁independent , ▁Gr à cia ▁has ▁long ▁maintained ▁a ▁distinct ▁identity ▁as ▁a ▁unique ▁district ▁of ▁the ▁diverse , ▁larger ▁metropol is ▁to ▁which ▁it ▁belongs . ▁ ▁Life ▁in ▁Gr à cia ▁ ▁Today ▁home ▁to ▁over ▁ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Instituto ▁Nacional ▁de ▁Estad ística , ▁Gr à cia ▁is ▁both ▁the ▁smallest ▁district ▁by ▁area , ▁at ▁ 4 . 2 ▁km 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁most ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁neighbourhood ▁in ▁Barcelona . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁hi pp est , ▁most ▁cosm opol itan ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁Gr à cia ' s ▁int