The disarticulated forms of neoliberal urbanism in the XXI century: the case of Barcelona Forum 2004

Abstract

The contradictions within the policies of requalification of the City of Barcelona have become more evident in relation to some of the most recent urban transformations, as in the case of the project for the renewal of the Diagonal-Mar area; urban space where the Forum of Cultures 2004 has been held. The Forum turned into a failure, according to the paradigm of the criticisms, on the cultural and, above all, political (or marketing) level; in its urban dimension, it has been the expression of the city that mires to the global insertion: it is a urban planning which is prevalently oriented to the external demand. The regeneration of the Diagonal-Mar has shown a scant consideration of social objectives, with the creation of spaces, where the concept of value of exchange predominates over the value of use. The actor (public and above all private investors), that participated to the redaction of the project of urban renewal of the area, produced a great propagandistic effort, presenting it as an open cultural initiative which can assume also the social criticisms.

A lot of social and civil organization did not participate, and their proposals have not been accepted, and so, today, urban and social processes, rebound on the success or failure of the urban planning in an important area of the city. From that, what Borja (2005) defines the “urban malaise of Barcelona” starts, over the years of social and economic growth, the inhabitants of Barcelona fell a certain malaise, which is highlighted by the today’s crisis. The big urban projects do not generate any enthusiasm, citizens feel themselves progressively less owners of the own city, the architecture of the “great singular objects” does not represent the element of identity of the society. By scanning those urban imaginaries from a theoretical-conceptual viewpoint, which is formal and empiric, the question emerges, if the punctual urban planning operation of a sector could create evaluations, mechanisms of actuation and directions which allow to make right decisions, by avoiding the spatial and social desertification of a public space. This is an example of what could happen when the global capital is not adequately regulated at the social level.