In this blog post, I attempt to unpack what this court ruling is about, the legal arguments, and who is behind it. Did the city really do something wrong? What will happen to the Consell de Cent project? Is it possible that the courts will force the city to undo a 26 million Euro investment? What are the implications for city planning in Barcelona? And might the ruling impact future pedestrianization?
In the last city I lived in they transformed one of the major busy streets that had a lot of shops into a pedestrian zone. Businesses fought it kicking and screaming. Reading the local news and online forums you’d think that the main customer base for all businesses in the inner city were 90year olds with multiple hip surgeries who will not come anymore if they can’t park right in front of the shop.
Well. The street was transformed, people got suspiciously quiet about the mass extinction of local businesses that was about to happen and all the restaurants and cafes need reservations now where before you could just walk in even on a Saturday afternoon and get a table. Some of the shops need security now to regulate the flow of people. But of course you won’t read any articles on local news about it.
In the last city I lived in they transformed one of the major busy streets that had a lot of shops into a pedestrian zone. Businesses fought it kicking and screaming. Reading the local news and online forums you’d think that the main customer base for all businesses in the inner city were 90year olds with multiple hip surgeries who will not come anymore if they can’t park right in front of the shop. Well. The street was transformed, people got suspiciously quiet about the mass extinction of local businesses that was about to happen and all the restaurants and cafes need reservations now where before you could just walk in even on a Saturday afternoon and get a table. Some of the shops need security now to regulate the flow of people. But of course you won’t read any articles on local news about it.