▁Barcelona ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁answer ▁to ▁the ▁sw elling ▁population ▁issues , ▁and ▁began ▁investig ating ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁E ix ample ▁district . ▁Situ ated ▁between ▁the ▁old ▁city ▁of ▁neighbourhood s ▁like ▁El ▁R aval , ▁Ci utat ▁V ella , ▁and ▁El ▁Born , ▁and ▁the ▁out lying ▁municipal ities ▁of ▁Gr à cia , ▁Sant ▁Martí , ▁S ants , ▁and ▁Mont ju ï c , ▁the ▁E ix ample ▁( altern atively ▁known ▁as ▁L ’ E ix ample ▁or ▁Ens anche , ▁in ▁Catal an ) ▁under w ent ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁iterations ▁in ▁the ▁planning ▁stages . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Development , ▁under ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁in ▁Spain ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁commission ed ▁Il def ons ▁C erd à , ▁a ▁Catal an ▁urban ▁pl anner , ▁to ▁design ▁the ▁new ▁district . ▁However , ▁when ▁the ▁local ▁government ▁changed ▁political ▁sides , ▁C erd à ' s ▁plan ▁was ▁disc arded ▁and ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁government ▁held ▁a ▁project ▁competition ▁which ▁C erd à ▁lost . ▁The ▁winning ▁plan , ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁city ▁council , ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁Anton i ▁R ov ira ▁i ▁Tri as , ▁another ▁Catal an ▁urban ▁pl anner ▁who ▁played ▁a ▁central ▁role ▁in ▁demol ition ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁military ▁installation , ▁Ci ut ad ella , ▁that ▁helped ▁open ▁Barcelona ▁to ▁the ▁develop ments