To recover La Rambla for the people of Barcelona. That is the main goal of the action plan launched by the Amics de la Rambla association under the slogan 'La Rambla. A new model of Urban Tourism', an ambitious programme of actions that seeks to restore Barcelona's most famous pedestrian avenue as a place for the enjoyment of its citizens, beyond the thousands of tourists who visit it every day. The plan, announced last week, includes initiatives in several areas, from the holding of popular festivals to the organization of walking routes, and also, a collection of posters, a new 'souvenir' but one which will be distinguished by its intended market: it'll be aimed at Barcelona city residents themselves.
With the complicity and support of the Barcelona city council and the involvement of the firm GetYourGuide, the Amics de la Rambla association is to promote several lines of action from now until 2027 - the year that the currently-underway remodelling of the promenade will be completed - with the goal of strengthening the image of the promenade and defending and promoting all of its heritage, both material and immaterial, and aimed especially at the barceloníns and barcelonines - the locals. Thus, on the one hand, existing and already-consolidated activities will be reinforced, such as the food festival Tast a la Rambla; the Rambla's festa major, the Festa del Roser; and the Rambla Vila del Llibre, among others, and new events will be presented, such as (Re)descobreix la Rambla, a proposalo of walking routes that took place at the end of December and ended up with practically all places filled. From 2024, the range of routes will be expanded and offered in collaboration with the ONCE Foundation.
Souvenirs that appeal to the local public
Another of the initiatives of the action plan is 'La Rambla Inventa', which seeks to be a loudspeaker for the creative voices of the neighbourhood as part of a conscious effort to transform and renew the commercial offer of the Rambla and its area of influence. A part of this is the creation of a souvenir of La Rambla created locally and aimed at everyone, developed with the collaboration of the educational institutions of the district, such as the Massana or Elisava schools of art and design, as well as the neighbourhood cultural and product design spheres, so that it has local essence. This new souvenir, aiming to be equally attractive to the local public and to visitors, will have its main showcase in the Territori Rambla store, to be the key location from which the change will be promoted, although for the moment, its address is not known.
One of the first actions that has been launched in this regard is the creation of a collection of posters intended to be equally attractive to locals (appealing to nostalgia and the sentimental link with the Rambla) and to visitors (as an object of quality that is deeply rooted in the place itself). The Pòsters de la Rambla collection aims to generate positive impacts, increase sentimental ties through attractive objects and recover the charm of posters linked to the city of Barcelona. To give value to the object, short runs (of 100 prints) will be made as numbered and signed editions. Currently, the first three posters are in the production phase and will later be put on sale, but to achieve the maximum dissemination of the campaign they will also be published in postcard format, to be distributed free of charge, with each of the chosen designs.
As well, there is the Fòrum La Rambla, which is to be one of the main objectives of the 'La Rambla, a new model of urban tourism' project, which will create a meeting point and a location for debate centred on the promenade, also working in collaboration with other cities, streets and regions with similar problems. A reflection on how to use Barcelona's tourist volume to transform the city.