Barcelona must remain positioned as one of Europe's most competitive innovative ecosystems.

The New Barcelona Post converses this month with Albert Solé Frexas, one of the young executives participating in Barcelona 2040, the leadership and city program taught by Barcelona Global. 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 hope it will be a city that offers a high quality of life, going beyond the beach and good weather. I hope Barcelona will be a city that can offer its citizens quality opportunities (economic, cultural, housing, etc.), that offers healthy facilities and public spaces, that continues to innovate in key sectors without losing sight of its identity, and that can offer a city model that serves as an inspiration to other cities in the world.

--- Which city would you compare Barcelona to?

--- It's difficult to choose just one. Lisbon, despite population differences, has certain similarities with Barcelona: it is a coastal city that also has a competitive innovation ecosystem. Both cities share challenges such as housing and the impact of tourism. And lately, especially since the end of the lockdown, both Barcelona and Lisbon have experienced a notable increase in the expat phenomenon.

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

--- Barcelona's city model is a global reference in itself. Especially in the field of urban planning and mobility. However, it is essential to incorporate a metropolitan vision to be able to provide effective solutions to the problems we have, as is attempted in Greater London or Grand Paris. In the case of Paris, the Grand Paris Express is currently being executed, which will result in 200 new kilometers of metro that will serve the cities surrounding Paris, which will undoubtedly entail a significant economic and social impact throughout the region.

--- What is the main challenge Barcelona must solve in the coming years?

--- As happens in many European cities and urban environments, housing is one of the main challenges we have. And personally, I believe it is difficult to solve without a metropolitan vision. Barcelona's functional area is much more extensive than that delimited by its municipal boundaries. Therefore, it is necessary to propose metropolitan solutions to the housing problem and complement them with a powerful public transport network, which facilitates mobility between the different activity centers of the metropolitan area.

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

--- Cities are made up of their citizens, and in this sense, it is important that we all get involved in the construction of our city. New generations must be active at different levels: from participating in entities in our neighborhoods that generate a sense of community and belonging, to informing ourselves about planned city projects and identifying existing participation channels to be able to have our say. It is also important to ensure that newcomers can integrate and participate in the collective construction of the city. In Barcelona, currently, approximately half of the population aged 25 to 39 is of foreign origin. Although it is true that some choose to live in a bubble, it is necessary that together we make them participate in the life of the city so that they also actively contribute to building Barcelona.

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

--- Barcelona must continue to promote the knowledge economy, research, health and medicine, as well as continue to bet on entrepreneurship. Barcelona must remain positioned as one of the most competitive innovative ecosystems in Europe.