Barcelona’s weekend open streets: success factors, challenges and transferability

This practice article reviews the evolution and key features of Barcelona’s weekend open streets programme (Obrim Carrers), introduced in early 2020 along two major commercial high streets. Drawing upon ongoing public debates and a survey of users and local business owners commissioned by the Municipality of Barcelona, I identify key success factors of the scheme, together with pending challenges and future prospects. This overview holds practical lessons regarding the transferability of Barcelona’s open streets initiative to other urban contexts, particularly for comparably dense European cities.