Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Politics aside, the big event in post-Franco Barcelona was the successful 1992 Olympics,
planned under the guidance of the popular Socialist mayor, Pasqual Maragall. The Olympic
Games spurred a burst of public works and brought new life to areas such as Montjuïc,
where the major events were held. The once-shabby waterfront was transformed with prom-
enades, beaches, marinas, restaurants, leisure attractions and new housing.
After the turn of the millennium, Barcelona continued to invest in urban renewal, with
ambitious projects such as the 22@ hi-tech zone in the once-industrial El Poblenou district,
the major development around new trade fairgrounds between the city and the airport, and
the glimmering Diagonal Mar waterfront development around the Parc del Fòrum at the
northeast tip of the city.
Barcelona nearly staged the Olimpíada Popular (People's Olympiad) in 1936, an alternat-
ive to the Olympics that was being held in fascist Germany. Around 6000 athletes from
23 countries registered. However, the civil war erupted just before the start. Some ath-
letes who arrived stayed on and joined militias to help defend the republic.
Sustainability & a Catalan Future
Over the last decade, Barcelona has undergone great transformations, with an eye towards
sustainability. Since 2000 the city has required all new buildings to install solar panels to
provide most of their hot water. Its massive solar panel near the Parc del Fòrum is the largest
of any city in Europe. Barcelona's shared bike program, Bicing, launched in 2007, has
helped reduce traffic on the road, with some 180,000 subscribers using the service (saving
10 million kg of CO2 per year). Bicycles aren't the only way Barcelona is reducing its car-
bon footprint: the city has one of the cleanest bus fleets in Europe, and has become a leader
in the realm of electric vehicles, with over 250 charging stations.
The economic crisis that erupted in 2007, however, has largely shifted the topic of con-
versation away from green initiatives and into the realm of economic recovery. Soaring un-
employment and painful austerity measures - not to mention Catalonia's heavy tax burden -
has led to anger and resentment towards Madrid, and fuelled the drive towards independen-
ce. A referendum on independence was scheduled for November 2014, but was declared il-
legal by Spanish judges - setting up a showdown between Catalonia and Spain.
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