The Catalan capital will redesign terraces along the famous La Rambla boulevard, emphasising space, aesthetic uniformity and quality tourism.
Barcelona’s famous La Rambla boulevard is set for a redesign in a bid to pivot the landmark away from high-volume, low-quality tourism.
It will limit advertising and table numbers on terraces along the Catalan landmark, among other measures, after Barcelona city council and the city’s restaurant trade association agreed on the new terrace model following months of negotiations.
Mayor Jaume Collboni welcomed the agreement and believes it will be “the first zone of excellence for terraces in the city, but not the only one.”
Barcelona was one of the hotspots during Spain’s anti-tourism protests in the summer of 2024 and locals have long called for greater controls in the city.
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The agreement, presented on Monday, sets a maximum of 322 tables along the entire length of the boulevard. That’s a relatively small reduction that retains around 84 percent of the current capacity but aims to reclaim 33 percent of the space for pedestrians.
La Rambla will also implement a visual style guide to standardise the aesthetic and technical criteria for chairs, tables and parasols used on restaurant and bar terraces along La Rambla.
Spanish daily El País reports that the document will “regulate aspects such as the colour palette, materials and quality.”
Collboni also pointed out that it will set minimum standards for the quality and durability of materials.
Establishments will be able to choose from the available models and colour palettes. These consist of neutral and warm tones “designed to blend discreetly into the urban environment.”
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The parasols must all be of the same height to create “a uniform appearance along the entire promenade”, whilst tables and chairs may vary in design within the defined parameters of colour and format with the aim “to reinforce a shared visual identity without detracting from the individual character of each establishment”.
Chair covers will also be permitted with a choice of four colours but these must not feature any advertising, only the establishment’s name.
The changes will also crackdown on chalkboard offers outside establishments and photo advertisements of paella or beer.
Noticeboards and staff furniture will be selected through a public tender organised by the city council.
The aim, according to the council, is to achieve a “better balance between space for walking and space for lingering” on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, which in high season can be completely overwhelmed by tourists.
Work on the La Rambla refurbishment has also been accelerated, reduced from the 7 years initially planned to 3, in an effort that Mayor Collboni describes as a “titanic effort to restore the heart of the city.”
The council’s plan is for terraces to be gradually reinstalled by February 2027.
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Attempts to change the tourist profile in Barcelona are nothing new.
Authorities in the Catalan capital have for years now been trying to strike a balance with the multifaceted problem of overtourism, the driving force of the Catalan economy but one that’s had a major impact on the quality of life and social fabric of Barcelona.
After all, data from Barcelona’s Tourism Board indicates that the economic activity generated by this industry in the city amounts to €15 billion, and that if all tourists were to leave, Barcelona would lose 14 percent of its GDP.
City hall has also previously agreed to put up the price of Park Güell tickets as a dissuasive measure, decided to reduce the number of cruise ship terminals, vowed to get rid of ‘tacky’ souvenir shops from the city centre, prevented new tourism apartments from being set up, promised to completely get rid of all short-term lets by 2028, put up tourism taxes and more.
READ ALSO: Why Barcelona’s new tourism crackdown doesn’t convince locals