It seems evident that with the approval of the green axes projects in Barcelona’s Eixample as simple ordinary municipal works, the government of Ada Colau, in February 2022, wanted to avoid the modification of urban planning and the debate in plenary. He was in a hurry and went direct, even at the risk of violating urban planning legality. The plan was not a sinful thing: a road system was replaced by another of urban gardens. Several entities took it to court, and it has already ruled three times equally: in the Consell de Cent superblock like that of Comte Borrell and at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Rocafort, the pedestrianization process must be reversed and return to prior planning, according to the sentences.
Mayor Collboni entrusts everything to the City Council’s legal services to prove that Colau’s procedure complied with the law. At this point in the film it makes no sense to dismantle anything (R.I.P. for the Cerdà plan). Furthermore, many citizens are delighted. But not all, it depends on who you ask. And that is what Luis Benvenuty did, asking, for Sunday’s newspaper, about the first year of life of the Consell de Cent axis.
Having read the report, it is clear that the neighbor on this street who goes out to the balcony of his renovated apartment and hears the birds chirping (if there is no noise on the terraces) does not think the same as the neighbor on Mallorca Street, who swallows smoke. And the owner of a premises or a home does not think the same as the businessman or the individual whose contract ends in no time and their rent will be raised. Everything has to be cool, including the prices. By the way, the street is filling up with brunch, like this, in English (R.I.P. to the traditional bar).
The clamor from neighbors and businessmen is unanimous. They are not just passing through. This year the environment has not been pampered. Carelessness is evident. The must-do list: there is a lack of signs near schools and squares, access control bollards, and police to catch those who drive on motorized vehicles or on two wheels destroying everything and those who park wherever they want without respecting the loading and unloading schedule. Collboni says he has a plan. An improvement plan, for a few months. It’s late.
