5 ms·

Even before the superblock idea, that first picture of existing Barcelona blocks looks so massively better than anything I've seen in USA. I looked hard, twice,

Even before the superblock idea, that first picture of existing Barcelona blocks looks so massively better than anything I've seen in USA. I looked hard, twice, before reading article cause I was sure it was is was artist rendering rather than reality. So, uniform, dense, but no sky scrapers, corners cut off, wide wide streets, wide sidewalks, interior (to block) "courtyards". I want to move to Barcelona!

jacquesm 10y ago
It's one of the nicest cities in Europe but the Spanish economy is still so far down that many Spanish people with marketable skills are to be found all over Europe.
- chris_7 10y ago
  Would people from Barcelona not object to being called "Spanish"?
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    Last I checked Barcelona was still in Spain. If they object I'm fine with it but I'm not going to 'tune' my comments to whether or not someone may or may not be offended when for the rest of the world 'Catalonia' is solidly part of Spain. Frisians are Dutch too, and Welsh are British and so on. All of the above are also Europeans...
    - faragon 10y ago
      Most people in Barcelona are not "pro-independence". Most "pro-independence" people come from rural areas, or small cities. Industrial and touristic areas of Catalan region of Spain are not nationalists/separatists. That sentiment comes much like in other regions, because of the crisis. P.S. I live in Barcelona.
      - jacquesm 10y ago
        That's pretty much my experience. I spent a few weeks every year in Barcelona for the last 3 years or so, super nice people and a very nice city (especially the architecture and the amazing blend of city and sea).
      - scalesolved 10y ago
        Slightly different personal data point from my guiri perspective living in Barcelona I'd say that of the 12-15 Catalans that I know well the clear majority are pro independence. Seems polls have between 60-80% of Catalans want independence : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poll-finds-that-60-of-catalans-want-independence-9208329.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poll-finds-th... http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29982960 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29982960 As the urban region of Barcelona has around 5 million residents (7.5 million in Catalunya) the urban areas do have a lot of support for the movement.
        faragon 10y ago
        You "forget" that the "80%" was on an unofficial and illegal (currently on Court) poll/"referendum" with massive abstention, because supported mostly by Catalan nationalist parties, and not by constitutionalists (the ones supporting the Rule of Law). Real pro-independency support in Catalan regions is about 35-45%, being much less in industrial and touristic areas (you can find official statistics about the subject -INE and CEO-). In my opinion, nationalist agitprop in Catalonia, more than reaching the independence from Spain, it will "break" Catalan region psychologically in two, because of the polarization, much like it happens in North Ireland or Belgium. I hope it doesn't happen in Barcelona, as it is a nice place to live and invest, with really nice and open minded people. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415
justincormack 10y ago
It is starting to get a good tech scene I believe. Lovely place to visit certainly.
archagon 10y ago
Many will disagree, but: having visited a large number of European capital cities over the past few years, I found this Barcelona neighborhood to be among the most boring. Every walk felt pretty much the same and it was easy to get lost if you weren't constantly reading the signs. Give me an insane, chaotic city center any day!

jacquesm 10y ago

It's one of the nicest cities in Europe but the Spanish economy is still so far down that many Spanish people with marketable skills are to be found all over Europe.

chris_7 10y ago
Would people from Barcelona not object to being called "Spanish"?
- jacquesm 10y ago
  Last I checked Barcelona was still in Spain. If they object I'm fine with it but I'm not going to 'tune' my comments to whether or not someone may or may not be offended when for the rest of the world 'Catalonia' is solidly part of Spain. Frisians are Dutch too, and Welsh are British and so on. All of the above are also Europeans...
  - faragon 10y ago
    Most people in Barcelona are not "pro-independence". Most "pro-independence" people come from rural areas, or small cities. Industrial and touristic areas of Catalan region of Spain are not nationalists/separatists. That sentiment comes much like in other regions, because of the crisis. P.S. I live in Barcelona.
    - jacquesm 10y ago
      That's pretty much my experience. I spent a few weeks every year in Barcelona for the last 3 years or so, super nice people and a very nice city (especially the architecture and the amazing blend of city and sea).
    - scalesolved 10y ago
      Slightly different personal data point from my guiri perspective living in Barcelona I'd say that of the 12-15 Catalans that I know well the clear majority are pro independence. Seems polls have between 60-80% of Catalans want independence : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poll-finds-that-60-of-catalans-want-independence-9208329.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poll-finds-th... http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29982960 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29982960 As the urban region of Barcelona has around 5 million residents (7.5 million in Catalunya) the urban areas do have a lot of support for the movement.
      - faragon 10y ago
        You "forget" that the "80%" was on an unofficial and illegal (currently on Court) poll/"referendum" with massive abstention, because supported mostly by Catalan nationalist parties, and not by constitutionalists (the ones supporting the Rule of Law). Real pro-independency support in Catalan regions is about 35-45%, being much less in industrial and touristic areas (you can find official statistics about the subject -INE and CEO-). In my opinion, nationalist agitprop in Catalonia, more than reaching the independence from Spain, it will "break" Catalan region psychologically in two, because of the polarization, much like it happens in North Ireland or Belgium. I hope it doesn't happen in Barcelona, as it is a nice place to live and invest, with really nice and open minded people. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415

justincormack 10y ago

It is starting to get a good tech scene I believe. Lovely place to visit certainly.

archagon 10y ago

Many will disagree, but: having visited a large number of European capital cities over the past few years, I found this Barcelona neighborhood to be among the most boring. Every walk felt pretty much the same and it was easy to get lost if you weren't constantly reading the signs. Give me an insane, chaotic city center any day!