La Rambla de Barcelona is an emblematic axis of the city that has been a meeting point for centuries. However, in recent years a feeling of rejection towards this iconic avenue has arisen from local residents.
Many did not identify with the tourist saturation and the lack of green spaces in the area.
This sentiment changed with the arrival of the pandemic in 2020. Without the massive influx of tourists, the residents of Ciutat Vella rediscovered La Rambla. Social isolation brought this iconic boulevard back to local residents.
This led to a reflection on how to transform La Rambla into a space that would better serve the community, protect housing and promote culture.
La Rambla de Barcelona as a cultural revitalization project
The La Rambla Transformation Plan is a proposal to improve mobility and diversify the uses of this iconic promenade. Ciutat Vella alderman Jordi Rabassa says the project has been delayed due to the pandemic, but the executive urbanization project is expected to be finalized early this year.
The transformation of La Rambla focuses on promoting it as a cultural hub. We will seek to create memory and knowledge programs of the avenue’s heritage and develop educational and cultural projects.
The “Baja a La Rambla” campaign organized by the City Council and Amics de La Rambla is an example of how the cultural space is intended to be recovered for residents and tourists.
A major challenge in this transformation is to address access to housing. Gentrification, high rents and touristization are familiar realities to the people of Barcelona, especially in Ciutat Vella.
The La Rambla transformation project includes measures to promote local commerce, diversify economic activity and implement housing policies that protect local residents.
Mission “impossible”?
However, some critics, from the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (ABDT), point out that achieving a real transformation will be “impossible” without reducing the high rental prices of homes and premises, which have increased due to tourist pressure. Changing La Rambla implies changing the city model.
For his part, Fermín Villar, president of Amics de la Rambla, also sees it as essential to address housing pressure and suggests recovering public buildings to change their use.
It also considers it necessary to provide more security, economic support for the maintenance of buildings and change urban planning laws to preserve existing neighbors and curb the proliferation of illegal tourist apartments.
The transformation of La Rambla is an ambitious project that seeks to revitalize this iconic site as a cultural and community hub rather than simply a tourist destination.
