Cities of the Future

Category: Barcelona

  • Cities Commit to become Emissions Neutral by 2050

    The mayors of 25 pioneering cities, representing 150 million citizens, have pledged to develop and begin implementing more ambitious climate action plans before the end of 2020 to deliver emissions neutral and climate resilient cities by 2050. These plans will ensure the cities deliver on their share of emissions reductions required to realize the ambition of […]

  • Autonomous Cars Will Turn Back the Clock on Sustainable Cities

    Autonomous mobility could become the most important business in the 21st century. By Diablanco (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons Within the next 10 years autonomous cars could reverse the trend to free cities from private vehicles, instead flooding the streets with even more cars, undermining public transit, and leaving no space for other uses. The companies […]

  • Tips for MWC attendees

    Tips for MWC attendees

    It is that time of the year again. The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the biggest technology exhibition and conference in the world, starts in Barcelona tomorrow. This weekend thousands of delegates, exhibitors, press, security and service personnel, are arriving in the Catalan capital city for the event. Some of the main activities have already started. Today, […]

  • Airbnb still at odds with Barcelona City, who call its new rule for hosts “a joke”

    Airbnb still at odds with Barcelona City, who call its new rule for hosts “a joke”

    After Barcelona City Council conducted inspections and imposed sanctions on illegal tourist rentals in the city, Airbnb responded by announcing restrictions on multiple listings in the downtown area. Map of Airbnb Listings in Barcelona (Dec. 2016) — Source: Inside Airbnb In its press release, the company said hosts located in Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella (Old City) district would only be […]

  • Barcelona Needs Swift Action Against Pollution

    The capital of Catalunya is suffering from persistent high pollution due to car density and the largest number of motorcycles of any European city. City administrators, while acknowledging the seriousness of the problem, have been unwilling to take any action that would upset drivers. This week I was pleasantly surprised to see a new campaign on […]

  • Barcelona tackles its traffic, pollution with parking policies and superblocks

    Barcelona tackles its traffic, pollution with parking policies and superblocks

    Cities of the Future talks to Barcelona’s mobility guru, Mercedes Vidal, about how the high pollution levels that are pushing the city to rethink heavy traffic flows, provide faster more efficient public transport and hike up parking fees. Last week, the city of Madrid had to trigger its high-pollution protocol Level 2 due to dangerous levels […]

  • No Free Parking — Leave Your Car At Home

    No Free Parking — Leave Your Car At Home

    Free and cheap parking is expensive for cities. It becomes a pull factor for commuters to bring their cars every day, together with the pollution they create, traffic congestion, accidents and lost revenue for public transport.

  • Barcelona’s first Superblock, Fighting the Power of Habit and Wavering Political Will

    A month ago, after nearly three decades of waiting, Barcelona urban designer Salvador Rueda finally saw the first “Superilla” (Superblock) installed in his city. The superblock faced some fierce opposition from unhappy residents and local businesses complaining about loss of curbside parking, and changes of bus stops and street direction. It was also criticized from […]

  • Superblocks, Barcelona Answer to Car-Centric City

    Superblocks, Barcelona Answer to Car-Centric City

    Barcelona wants to be the world’s best city for people. To reclaim the public space and community living that residents lost to cars over the last century, the city, in the spirit of the original design by Cerdà, is transforming mobility and access to public space by introducing the Superblock. When Catalan urban planner Ildefons […]

  • Barcelona Facing New Housing Problems, and Airbnb

    Barcelona Facing New Housing Problems, and Airbnb

    Barcelona is facing increasing pressure on its housing market, primarily in rental prices. The Mediterranean city, which last year became the third most popular European destination after Paris and London, is facing a new housing crisis. Barcelona Eixample Rents are being pushed up by lack of new housing stock, an increase in “sharing economy” rentals, […]