The headline you just read has a drawback: that it does not conform to reality but to the desire of the person who wrote it. It’s hopefully a very personal thing.
Few things would make this journalist happier than Barcelona truly believing itself to be the great city it is, instead of fooling around with the idea of looking like a town. One observes with anger a certain attachment of the political managers, even with Ada Colau out of control, to a pocket-sized Barcelona. To a Barcelona that is becoming small. If this desire is consolidated, then Madrid will have definitively won the game. There are wonderful towns to live in if you don’t really want to be in the city.
Colleague and deskmate Joaquín Luna published on Wednesday in this newspaper that there is no city with aspirations to be the capital of something that closes the night from eleven to six. And he is right. The management of nightlife, as well as the municipal excess of zeal with the terraces, represent just two of many examples of a village mentality (and note that I type “town” with affection, I am from the village).
I would say that this vision of what a great city is not responds to a political correctness complex that blurs many objectives. The mantra? Be cool. The cool concept is very good for a modern and cool city like Barcelona as long as the side effects of certain policies are minimized.
Bike lanes are very cool, but only those that can be traveled on without danger to anyone. Look at the one on Gran Via, for example. Superblocks are cool (poor Cerdà plan), but only when they do not cause road collapse and do not cause – as in Consell de Cent – housing prices to skyrocket. The green areas and walks are cool, although if they are neglected they offer a painful image. This complex for being cool has led to absurd positions such as proposing that the Christmas lights go out at ten, doubting Formula 1 because the cars smoke and make noise and, lastly, that it will cost God and the help of the Civil society – or what remains of it – drags politicians to support the America’s Cup. The debate on Primavera Sound or the expansion of the airport is described in this space of opinion, so I will not linger further.
This succinct list would include the hours and opening of stores on Sundays. Thinking not only about the 10 million tourists a year but also about the 1.6 million or so Barcelonans. Why is it not allowed to open every Sunday?
Small businesses need protection, it would be lacking, but above all, politicians need to understand that the times, the Internet and consumer habits force them to make changes. The retail offer has also been transformed, to specialize in one type of product and loyal customer at any time and any day. The policies of María Castaña’s year no longer work, but rather ones that are aimed at preventing SMEs from closing due to rising rents (remember Vinçon?) and at protecting labor rights even with flexible hours.
When Barcelona becomes unfriendly, Madrid looks beautiful.