The COVID-19 Crisis as a Window of Opportunity: The Pacification of School Environments in Barcelona through Tactical Urbanism

Abstract

This article analyzes how the COVID 19 crisis became a window of opportunity for the Barcelona local government to accelerate actions towards a friendlier, healthier and more inclusive city. To a large extent, this occurred with the pacification and pedestrianization of public spaces using tactical urban planning interventions. To this end, an in-depth analysis of the Let's Protect the Schools program of Barcelona City Council between the years 2020 and 2023 is conducted. It is based on the theoretical framework of multiple currents and takes on a policy cycle approach. The program aims to pacify the urban surroundings of Barcelona schools. The article is based on the case study and uses qualitative techniques, combining documentary sources with 10 semi-structured interviews with key actors of the program. The results of the analysis highlight different aspects of this public policy: the existence of various triggering factors in addition to COVID-19; the internal tensions between the urban planning area and the education area of Barcelona City Council within the participatory development of the program; the importance of school family associations as a new actor in the governance of public space; the promotion of tactical urbanism and the consequences of its institutionalization; as well as the benefits and limits to the program. All of this helps explain the rapid development of the policy and its permanence beyond the pandemic breakout.