More bike lanes and pacifying school environments: Barcelona's budgets

BarcelonaThe people of Barcelona have already chosen a small part of the municipal budgets and have decided, among other projects, to allocate more pedestrian space to Balmes street; to build bike lanes in places like Via Augusta or Travessera de les Corts; to create a green lung in the Farigola del Clot school and to remodel the Parc de l'Espanya Industrial. In total, 39,433 Barcelona residents took part in the voting, which could be done from the 10th to the 20th June among the 200 finalist projects, 20 for each district. The Councillor for Participation, Marc Serra, has congratulated the citizens who had submitted their proposals and also those who have ended up voting and the technicians who have made it possible. "This was the first edition and it was a political challenge", he said. The 76 projects chosen will cost 29 million euros, a little below the 30 million that the City Council had set as a limit. The councillor for participation has assured that "participatory budgets are here to stay", since "citizens are not satisfied with voting every four years and when they are given the opportunity they respond massively".

All these projects will be carried out, while, according to the councillor, some of those that have been left out will also be executed, although at a different pace. These are the main projects that will go ahead, distributed by districts:

Sants-Montjuïc

The most voted project of the whole city has been to improve the Parc de l'Espanya Industrial (in Hostafrancs), with 3,351 votes. According to Serra, who is also a councillor for Sants-Montjuïc, one of the problems with this park is the space for dogs, which is too small and means that they end up letting them run through the garden areas. The cost of this remodelling will be 850,000 euros. The participants have also decided to reform the sports field Julià de Capmany for the practice of cricket and minority sports (2,989 votes) and pacify old Sants (2,483 votes). This is the district where more votes have been registered, 34,187.

Ciutat Vella

In the first district of the city the most voted project asks to garden the Raval (1,980 votes) and also to put in value the Roman wall (1,530 votes). They also ask to adapt the Plaça dels Àngels for children (1,450 votes), which is currently very used by skaters. In this district, the citizens, who in total have registered 19,697 votes, have also decided to install a buoy to measure the acidification of the Mediterranean (1,154 votes).

Eixample

In the biggest district of the city 35,023 votes have been registered and most of them were to ask for the extension of the network of green axes of the Esquerra del Eixample (2,816 votes), or to promote five ecochaflanes in Aragó street (2,805 votes). The neighbours of the district with more traffic of Barcelona have also chosen to put an end to the "motorways" of the Esquerra del Eixample (2,516) as well as to pacify the school areas of Entença street (1,687).

Les Corts

In Les Corts, the most voted proposal asks the City Council to start the construction of a bicycle lane in Travessera de les Corts (1,212) and also to pacify the surroundings of this fast road as it passes by Vallespir street. As Ciutat Vella and Gràcia, residents also want "greener" and expand resources for youth organizations, among others. In this district 11,513 votes have been registered.

Sarrià-Sant Gervasi

To create a bicycle lane in Via Augusta (1,009 votes) and to gain more space for pedestrians in Balmes street (946) are the two most voted projects in the district of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. They also want to create a superblock in the Farró neighbourhood and a community garden in Sarrià de Dalt.

Gràcia

The graciencs are very clear that they currently need as a priority to turn the district into a greener space (2,885 votes), as well as recover the paths of Vallcarca in Collserola. They also ask to finish with the dark spaces and to install a public toilet in the Plaça de les Dones del 36. In this district a total of 23,188 votes have been registered.

Horta-Guinardó

To rehabilitate the historical part of the Parc del Guinardó (1,597 votes) and to improve the courtyard of the Escola de les Aigües (1,442 votes) are the main requests of the residents of Horta-Guinardó, who have registered a total of 18,486 votes. They also ask the municipal government to create a bike lane on the Guinardó ring road and to improve the condition of the pond in the Jardins del Baix Guinardó.

Nine Neighborhoods

The main claim of the residents of Nou Barris (where 17,556 votes have been registered) is concerning becoming more green. The proposal urges the City Council to reforest Collserola (1,889 votes), followed by creating an inclusive sports park in Can Dragó. They also call for the creation of an urban agricultural park in Can Valent, as well as the creation of a bike lane in Fabra i Puig.

Sant Andreu

The andreuencs have voted for the improvement of the Parc de la Pegaso (2,994 votes) but they have also forced the City Council to build the first inclusive park of the city in the Jardins de Massana and to pacify the old town of Sant Andreu del Palomar. They have also decided to make a more inclusive playground at Escola El Sagrer. A total of 18,905 votes have been registered.

Sant Martí

To turn the playground of the Escola La Farigola del Clot into a green lung has been the most voted proposal in Sant Martí (2,430 votes), after a campaign of its promoters, with posters in the streets and everything. They have also asked to make a superblock in the Camp de l'Arpa del Clot (2,205 votes) as well as to rehabilitate the annexed warehouse of Can Ricart for community uses. In this district 28,419 votes have been registered.