Barcelona has overcome the crisis resulting from the pandemic with flying colors and, after eight years marked by a concatenation of exceptional events (an unexpected change in the municipal government, an attack in the heart of the city, the political and social outburst caused by process, the covid and its multiple consequences), faces a new stage starting from a good base (certain economic strength), but with a City Council that has never in its history been under the command of such a minority government and with a momentarily extended budget that slows down investment capacity, at least this beginning of the mandate.
In an undisguised attempt to show that the recomposition of the old idyll between the local administration and the private sector is a fact, after a time of distancing, when not to be at loggerheads and to visualize the hostilities with interest, the last week the socialist mayor Jaume Collboni set up a new Social Dialogue Table with employers and the main unions.
The founding document of this advisory body lists the main challenges that Barcelona will have to address in the coming years. In the list of good intentions, which could be signed by the vast majority of the population and, with nuances, almost the entire political spectrum, there is no room for surprises: diversifying the productive economy; promote quality employment and fight precariousness; retain and attract talent; drive digitization; guarantee the right to housing; develop sustainable mobility; ensure the global connectivity of the metropolis… The final goal is well defined, the best road map needs to be chosen appropriately.
The challenges faced by Barcelona and its metropolitan area differ little from those faced by any other large global city. In most cases, the solution is not immediate. This is what happens, for example, with the main problem of the Catalan capital beyond the polls: which place citizen insecurity on the first step of this podium.
Only 1.8% of Barcelona’s housing stock is publicly owned. The average price of a new rental in the city breaks historical records and stands at 1,171 euros. Buying a flat in a traditionally owner-occupied country like this has become impossible, not just in the municipality of Barcelona, ??but in its entire first crown. So, the chances of reversing this situation in the short term are almost nil, despite the fact that this should not be used as an excuse for public administrations to throw another year overboard. The Catalan and Spanish governments have hinted that this time they are taking things seriously, that they have already started to charge the batteries, and in Barcelona City Council there are plans to revise rules, such as the obligation to allocate 30% of new promotions or major renovations to affordable housing, which have not achieved the promised results.
The political (and legal) response to the problem of public insecurity must be faster, a problem that is based on subjective perceptions, but also on the latest statistics, which reveal a worrying increase in criminal acts.
On the other hand, another of the major pending subjects that will not be approved for a few years is that of public transport, the master key to efficient mobility that complies with the environmental criteria imposed by higher authorities.
Also in this section, after years of hesitation and paralysis, the machines and workers have recently returned to work to unblock such important projects as the L8 of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (the connection between Plaça Espanya and Gràcia) or the central section of the L9 metro.
Less important will be another project that will finally become a reality this year, although only partially, when 14 years will have passed since the then mayor Jordi Hereu included it in the consultation on the reform of the Diagonal, the tramway between Glòries and Verdaguer There is no timetable for the stretch from Verdaguer to Francesc Macià and no significant progress should be expected in this mandate.
The big cities
