Barcelona wants to play a prominent role in the post-covid era. This was stated by the mayor of the Catalan capital, Ada Colau, in an opinion piece published this Saturday by the British newspaper The Guardian under the title Cities can lead a green revolution after covid. In Barcelona, we show how. According to Colau, the economic crisis and social damage caused by the pandemic must be used to build a "new, more just, balanced and sustainable world", instead of reissuing "the fragile world of the pre-pandemic era".
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The mayor of Barcelona believes that cities will play a key role in this process, since change must begin in large cities. "Barcelona and its metropolitan area want to lead the response to one of the toughest situations humanity has faced in modern times," Colau stressed, after pointing out that "we will need to boost the post-covid economy through green technologies and sustainable industry and transport." In the article, she refers, for example, to the leadership that cities must have in the adoption of non-fossil fuels, the use of non-polluting modes of transport and in the creation of green spaces that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
In the article, Colau explains the master lines of the new Mobility Plan of the city council and the transformation of the Eixample with the incorporation of green axes and superblocks to create a city "more pedestrian-friendly and almost car-free."
The mayor also states that the health crisis "has reminded us all of the importance of scientific advances," in reference to the rapid development of vaccines. "Cities can play a role in promoting science, technology and digital industries, something that Barcelona has been doing for years, through public policies aimed at attracting talent and building new infrastructures," she highlights.
At this point, Colau emphasizes in The Guardian that Barcelona will host the European supercomputer Mare Nostrum 5, whose computing capacity can be used in areas such as human genome research, the design of new drugs, and weather forecasting. The mayor also recalls that the Catalan capital aspires to host the new European meteorological headquarters, whose forecasting capacity and environmental specialization are key to the fight against climate collapse.
"Our goal is to become the main scientific and cultural capital of the Mediterranean, driving Europe's transition towards a green and circular economy. And we can do it through the innovative, brave, and ingenious spirit that has long characterized our city, working to improve the quality of life of our neighbors and ensuring that our post-pandemic society leaves no one behind," the mayor considers in the article. "These are global challenges and will require international solutions. But cities are a good place to start," she concludes.