Tourists will be annoyed to learn that the construction on La Rambla is set to continue for at least another year, as the city progresses on its facelift of the iconic walkway.
The €55.6 million renovation project is entering its final phases, but there is still major work ahead. The goal is to remake the promenade to improve circulation, connect the neighborhoods and ease the omnipresent crush of tourists.
The project is focused on the areas around La Boqueria market, the Liceu Opera house and Palau Moja. New public squares will be added, which should relieve some of the congestion and give the tour groups a place to relax, if nothing else. The design hopes to promote street food, add trees and benches, reduce traffic and make it easier to cross at key intersections.
There is also a social focus to the plan, which prioritizes residential uses and preserves the rights of long-time residents. The idea is to create a better pedestrian flow and do a better job of highlighting La rambla’s culture and history. The last phase is work on the “central boot” of La Rambla, which is expected to take 12 months. The work will be done in halves, first the Raval side and then the Gothic Quarter side, according to the city site.
“We will stop seeing the Columbus monument as a roundabout for vehicles and the new square will connect the city and the port,” Janet Sanz, Barcelona’s councilor for urbanism said during a press conference in 2022. The goal is for “Barcelona residents to stroll around La Rambla once again so they never leave the area and for them to feel it is a natural extension of their home.”
While the construction zones annoy tourists, the plan provides a long overdue refresh to the experience of the city’s most popular stroll. It may be a fantasy to “detouristify” La Rambla, the effort will help bring more character and historic elements to the tourist mobs.
Beyond the big ideas, there are several details that will help preserve the heritage of the area and connect it to the old city. For example, Barcelona Secreta has a nice article on plans for the ornate lanterns that line the street. “They will only be reinstalled in the large spaces that coincide exactly with the location of the old gates of the medieval city wall,” the publication reports.
You can download the City’s presentation here:
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