The Leaders see Barcelona as an ideal sustainable city model
The Programme participants attended a presentation of the projects that the Hàbitat Urbà area has implemented in the city
Good planning, a suitable budget and the consensus and support of all the parties involved (administrations, politicians, citizens, etc.) have made it possible for the city of Barcelona to experience a thorough transformation in the past few decades that has turned it into a point of reference as a sustainable, innovative city. The participants were received by two members of the Hàbitat Urbà department of the Council, Carme Gual i Via, Coordinator of International Relations, and Jaume Barnada, Head Architect. In their presentation, they focused on the renovation of the Ciutat Vella district, the city's historical centre, which the Leaders had the chance to visit the following day.
The rehabilitation of this area was undertaken for the Olympic Games in 1992 and entailed a significant challenge as the area was densely populated and extremely deteriorated. The Council representatives explained that nowadays, the department is mainly focused on managing tourism, which is abundant and concentrated in the city centre. Among the measures taken, which have been largely welcomed among the citizens, are the promotion of cycling, the pedestrianisation of streets, the promotion of public transport and the relief of population density in the centre by creating new leisure and dining offerings in other areas.
Before the end of the meeting, they also found out about the 22@ Barcelona project, which has transformed 200 ha of industrial land into an innovative district offering modern spaces for the strategic concentration of knowledge-intensive activities.
