The journey to find a seat in the neighborhood with the fewest benches per person in Barcelona

"I can't go shopping alone because there aren't enough benches on the street where I can rest," laments Emilia, 90, a lifelong neighbor of the El Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova neighborhood.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
08 April 2023 Saturday 08:52
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The journey to find a seat in the neighborhood with the fewest benches per person in Barcelona

"I can't go shopping alone because there aren't enough benches on the street where I can rest," laments Emilia, 90, a lifelong neighbor of the El Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova neighborhood. Sitting on one of the few benches in the neighborhood on Sicília street, she takes the opportunity to catch her breath before continuing her march.

Visibly tired and having difficulty speaking, she confesses that she has to be accompanied by her neighbor who grabs her arm when she needs a break. Her neighbor, also Emilia, 67, is sitting next to her and nods her head to every word her companion on the stairs says. The two women occupy the only seat for 500 meters.

The supply of public banks in the second neighborhood with the most residents in Gràcia is one for every 121 people. In the area, near the Sagrada Família, there are only 289 benches installed for 35,000 residents. In addition, almost 24% of the residents of the neighborhood are over 65 years of age, who most need a seat on public roads.

It is one in the afternoon and families gather at the school gates to pick up the little ones in the house. In the Col·legi Sant Josep - Teresianes, in Travessera de Gràcia, there are around 20 people, mostly the children's grandparents. However, there is only one individual seat on the entire sidewalk.

It is occupied by Mari Carmen, 65, who is waiting for her grandson to go eat. “I miss benches where she can rest at the end of the work day or while I wait for someone,” she explains. The relationship with respect to the older group is 1 bench for every 29 residents.

In Barcelona there are almost 60,000 benches installed on public roads, parks and green spaces, one for every 27 inhabitants, according to data from the City Council.

In the city there are about 150 types of benches and chairs made of wood, metal, stone and tablets. The most common are the classic Santa design

To a lesser extent is the Neobarcino model and Escofet's Montseny, with 9% each. These four banks make up half of the banks arranged in the city.

This reality contrasts with the atmosphere of the neighborhood, characteristic for its gastronomic offer and the night life of the neighbors in squares and taverns.

Of the 289 banks, 132 are located on Passeig de Sant Joan, which starts in the northern part of the neighborhood and extends to the Arc de Triomf, in the neighborhood of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera (Ciutat Vella) and 72 they are located in the gardens of La Sedeta (19), Antoni Puigvert (35) and Caterina Albert (18).

The remaining 85 are located in neighboring streets such as Travessera de Gràcia or Carrer Pi i Margall. Banks are non-existent inside the neighborhood. "There are none on Carrer Còrsega and Carrer Roger de Flor", explains Josefa, 78 years old. Along the 700 meters and 650 meters of these roads, respectively, it is impossible to find a seat.

The Gràcia district, despite being one of the busiest in the city, is the one with the fewest public banks (2,632), one for every 46 people, the second highest rate followed by the Eixample (one for every 47 people).

El Camp d'en Grassot and Gràcia Nova are followed by the neighborhoods of Sants-Badal (1 for every 80 residents), Camp de l'Arpa del Clot (1 for every 74) and El Putxet and el Farró (1 for every 72).

The neighborhoods with a greater number of public seats are El Poble Sec, which hosts the mountain of Montjuïc, La Verneda and La Pau, El Besòs and El Maresme, La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou and Diagonal Mar and the Front Marítim, where the Paseo runs maritime In these areas the user-bank ratio does not exceed 25.

On the contrary, the neighborhoods with the lowest offer are La Clota, Vallbona, Torre Baró, Can Peguera and La Font d'en Fargues, these being the ones with the least population density.