Barcelona must learn to become great while maintaining its quality of life

Daniel López is director of corporate legal advice at VidaCaixa, the leading insurer in the Spanish market, integrated into the CaixaBank group. López is also one of the young people participating in the leadership and city program taught by Barcelona Global, Barcelona 2040.

The objective of this series of interviews is for this new generation of leaders to share their vision for the Barcelona of the future they aspire to, as well as their impact proposals for the improvement of the city.

--- What do you expect from Barcelona in 2040?

--- I would love for Barcelona in 2040 to continue evoking the concept of avant-garde that, in a broad sense, has been associated with the city at least since the universal exhibitions. Barcelona is a special city with a unique capacity to generate and attract talent and a very distinctive brand of its own. In recent years, a somewhat pessimistic discourse about the future has spread, but, on the other hand, I believe that this spirit of self-criticism is something very Barcelonian and will help us maintain the appetite to continue being a reference.

--- What city would you compare Barcelona to?

--- Precisely, I believe that one of the elements that make Barcelona a special city is its uniqueness and how difficult it is to compare it with others. For the quality of life that is breathed, I would describe it as a Mediterranean Vienna. For its entrepreneurial spirit, it could evoke San Francisco. At the same time, however, it has a touch of a small, almost provincial city, which is especially perceived after having spent time in any large European city like London, Paris or even Madrid, and which gives it a particular charm.

--- What city model do you think Barcelona should try to resemble?

--- Barcelona should not try to emulate anyone, but rather should focus on strengthening its strengths and using them to respond to the challenges that exist right now and that are glimpsed in the medium and long term. A city is a very complex ecosystem. I do believe, however, that it would be good to explore successful formulas and surgically import those elements that make sense for Barcelona.

"The city's great achievements have been the result of collective efforts driven by a very heterogeneous grassroots civil society"

--- The main challenge Barcelona faces is learning to grow while maintaining the quality of life of its inhabitants. This involves overcoming municipal borders and converging towards metropolitan Barcelona. To achieve this, it is essential to improve mobility and make residing in areas with physical growth capacity attractive. Barcelona, furthermore, cannot stop being a city for its residents, and in that sense, I believe we always keep young people very much in mind, but sometimes we forget the demographic context we live in and the challenges that longevity will bring for everyone. Barcelona has the capacity to also position itself as a leading city in which to retire, but this requires strategic planning.

--- What do you think should be the role of new generations and their involvement in the city's development?

--- All generations must take an active part in solving today's problems, but the youngest among us are the first interested in fighting for the future we will have to live. In this, Barcelona has also been a benchmark, and I have no doubt that it will continue to be so. The city's great achievements have been the result of collective efforts driven by a very heterogeneous grassroots civil society, in which young people have always played a relevant role.

--- Which business sectors do you think Barcelona should bet on?

--- Strategic sectors with a long-term vision, committed to the city and to generating value for society and the city's residents. Barcelona is already a benchmark in industries such as those linked to health sciences in a broad sense, and it is positioning itself well in the field of technology. It would be good to try to gain relevance in previously leading sectors such as finance and also bet on care services oriented towards longevity. To do this, Barcelona should align itself with the direction set by the Draghi report and simplify all those procedures and regulatory requirements that depend on the municipal sphere to boost dynamism and be perceived as business friendly.