Investing in transportation and housing: Barcelona's civil society gives the city homework.

BarcelonaTwo and a half years ago, around 100 Barcelona organizations presented the ProBCN 2023 project in the Catalan capital, which included proposals for rethinking the short- and long-term future of the city and its metropolitan area. Now, halfway through their term at City Hall, the proponents of that proposal have updated their work with the goal, they point out, "not so much of taking stock of what has or has not been done, but of reviewing and reinforcing the major challenges that, collectively, continue to pave the way for a better Barcelona." Among these challenges, they highlight the need to improve access to the city by public transport—with special emphasis on the commuter rail network—and to resolve the housing crisis.

Both debates appear in several of the six axes into which the new report is divided: Barcelona as a metropolis and services city; a technological and innovative city; a city of entrepreneurship; a city of culture; a city of commerce; a city of tourism; and an inclusive and supportive city. In the case of transport, despite admitting that progress is being made on pending investments, the entities point out that commuter rail "is the major endemic problem of public transport in the metropolis" and demand specific details about how and when the transfer will take place. Also from the perspective of tourism, they call for a solution to the "totally deficient" management of commuter rail.

The report also focuses on the problem of social and affordable housing in Catalonia and, more specifically, in the metropolitan area. In this regard, they point out that in fifteen years, some 200,000 homes of this type will be needed in the Barcelona metropolitan area alone. Although the document states that in the first two years of the mandate, an effort has been made to increase the housing supply for groups with access difficulties, it urges working together with all stakeholders to expand the stock. They warn that failure to do so is not only a factor of inequality but also jeopardizes aspects such as "talent acquisition." Among the specific measures outlined in the document is "the need to urgently reform" the 30% reserve for social housing in Barcelona. A proposal that Mayor Jaume Collboni has shelved until the next term after the disagreement with Junts.

The document also warns of the "growing sense of imbalance and lack of social return" generated among social organizations by the perception that Barcelona is "increasingly oriented toward attracting capital and residents with high purchasing power, while traditionally excluded groups have difficulty accessing resources and opportunities." Therefore, the promoters demand that the proposals and agreements reached in the workspaces created to combat this inequality be "effectively" implemented.

Among the priorities highlighted in the ProBCN proposal is also continuing to leverage Barcelona's role in the world of research and innovation. In this sense, they understand that general improvements such as infrastructure and housing are key, but also specific actions to attract talent and capture international projects related to, for example, artificial intelligence.

In defense of tourism

Regarding tourism, the document passionately defends this sector. "We must strengthen the welcome of visitors as one of the main values ​​of the city's economy, in contrast to the critical voices against tourism based on ideological and partisan interests," the text emphasizes. Among the measures advocated are opening businesses on Sundays, the "strategic" expansion of the airport, and a commitment to "major events in the fields of sport and culture that allow Barcelona to be projected and qualitatively revitalized worldwide and, at the same time, represent a return of value for the city and its citizens."

Among the entities that have participated in the definition of each of these axes are Barcelona Oberta, Casal dels Infants, the Hotel Association, Tech Barcelona, ​​​​the Cerdà Institute, and Rethink BCN, among others. The Barcelona Promotion Foundation has acted as executive secretary for a project that also involved the collaboration of figures such as Salvador Alemany, Toni Brunet, Carles Cabrera, and Enric Pérez.