In December 1985, the Barcelona City Council launched the campaign Barcelona posa't guapa (Barcelona, get pretty) to publicize the Program of Measures for the Protection and Improvement of the Urban Landscape, with which it aimed to encourage the rehabilitation of buildings in a city that less than a year later would be designated an Olympic host city. That is to say, Samaranch had not yet uttered "À la ville de... Barcelona," which would catapult the Catalan capital worldwide, but the need to give the city a facelift already seemed urgent. Photos from the era show a certainly gray and dull Barcelona. As if a layer of dust or ash covered everything—streets, squares, and buildings—. Hence, the need for Barcelona posa't guapa—the seed of the future Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life—to encourage Barcelona residents to restore mainly facades and party walls, with the support of companies and entities as sponsors.
In terms of communication, I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Barcelona posa't guapa has been one of the most successful municipal campaigns of all time. Several television commercials were made—available on the YouTube channel of the Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life—which, seen with today's eyes, are endearing—some will say also politically incorrect, you can imagine what I mean—. The first one aired shows a close-up of a girl putting on makeup while a voice-over explains: "For Barcelona to be beautiful, every day there are more flowers on balconies; more facades fixed and painted. Every day there are more green spaces, more monuments and restored buildings. Barcelona posa't guapa." The campaign stretched like chewing gum and over the years was successively re-versioned, for example by adding a tag to the slogan, Barcelona posa't guapa i segura (Barcelona, get pretty and safe), perhaps to respond to those who considered the "posa't guapa" a bit frivolous.
Walking through the streets of Barcelona, it becomes evident that the city of today has little to do with that of four decades ago. Most of the facades of its buildings present a clean and well-maintained appearance. And I'm not just talking about La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, or the grand stately buildings in the center, but also modest apartment blocks in more peripheral neighborhoods. Therefore, we could say that Barcelonans have done their part in making the city beautiful. About the monstrous aesthetics of many bar and restaurant terraces, I will say nothing ---I grant them a temporary truce--- because I understand that with the pandemic, their owners have improvised emergency solutions to avoid having to close their businesses.
On the contrary, I am very critical of the current state of public space ---a key element of what we call urban landscape---. Lately, social media is filled with photographs taken by citizens denouncing the deplorable state of many streets and squares: dirt, urban furniture in poor condition, neglected vegetation... It particularly strikes me that some of the new landscaped spaces proliferating throughout the city as a result of the express pacification of many streets, just four days after their inauguration, already present a lamentable appearance with dry or half-dead plants reminiscent of abandoned towns in Western movies. I don't believe this is due to neglect or lack of budget, but rather because Barcelona is immersed in a major, accelerated change in its city model for which we may not have been sufficiently prepared.
It seems fantastic to me that concrete and asphalt are increasingly less prominent ---how horrible those hard plazas that certain architects of the eighties and nineties who wanted to be modern liked so much--- because we are moving towards a greener and more sustainable city model.Surely this Barcelona overflowing with vegetation ---squares and streets full of trees that provide freshness and absorb CO2, superblocks with planters full of plants and flowers, and buildings literally covered in green--- will be an infinitely more livable city.Now, it's not the same to maintain a concrete esplanade as thousands of square meters of landscaped surface. Those of us who have plants at home know it well: they are very beautiful, but they require practically daily dedication. It's no secret and I want to assume that the municipal officials responsible for maintaining all these new landscaped spaces in optimal condition are aware of this, but it is evident that we need to improve in this regard.It particularly strikes me that some of the new landscaped spaces proliferating throughout the city as a result of the express pacification of many streets, just four days after their inauguration, already present a lamentable appearance
It's time to bring back Barcelona posa't guapa, but I don't think the responsibility for improving the city's appearance should fall again on the people of Barcelona ---although it is essential that they contribute to the preservation of public space by making good use of it---, but on the city council itself. Make Barcelona beautiful again.