IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Since the return of democracy in Spain in 1979, divers groups and agencies have vied to impose their narratives and ideologies on the urban landscape of Barcelona as it was left at the end of the Franco Dictadura. These include the representative agencies of the city council, the Catalan and Spanish governments, as well as increasing numbers of private or public-private agencies, such as the port authority, business associations, property investment groups, religious foundations, neighbourhood associations and the local football club. During this period, theoretical approaches to urban planning oriented towards both economic growth and more sustainable land uses, sometimes ephemeral, have also left a distinct imprint on the city. These narratives are encoded in the built environment and are experienced directly by citizens as well as influencing the decisions of large numbers of people choosing to visit and to move to the city. The techniques of hermeneutics, or landscape interpretation, using especially architectural semiotics are used to decode the meanings embedded in the contemporary city. This paper will make more evident the interplay of competing ideologies and interests and how they have left their imprint during this important period in the development of one of the most meaningful of global cities.