Project for Public Spaces

Worse Than Average

Barcelona's Seating
No city has great seating, but when one is in Barcelona with all the great neighborhoods and urban spaces, the amenities should be better than they are. The lack of amenities sends a subtle message about how welcome one is and how interested the city is in its people. Barcelona should do much better.
Motorcycles & Scooters
Their speed, their disregard for pedestrians and their ubiquitous presence parked on sidewalks in important areas: All detract from the quality of life in Barcelona's public realm. It's very unsettling as one walks around the city to see how the pedestrian seems less important and less welcome -- one wonders about the attitude that allows this to happen.
[click here for a slideshow]
Emphasis on high-speed traffic in the central city
This is especially evident on the Avinguda Diagonal and Gran Via Corts Catalanes. When one is allowed to drive on these two streets at the same speed as on the highways that also traverse the city, you know that the traffic department has an authority apart from the politicians who determine priorities.
Setbacks at most street intersections
Unlike the Passeig de Gracia, where the buildings have a plaza in front, many Barcelona intersections seem to be a gathering place for vehicles rather than people -- it'd be lovely to replace the vehicles with cafés, gardens, sculpture, information, exhibits, and events.