Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Some 85% of people surveyed as part of the Cuidem Barcelona plan consider uncivil behaviour to be the cause of the poor condition of some points around the city. To tackle the issue, Barcelona City Council has launched a plan for more reporting and fines in response to uncivil attitudes, for raising awareness, reducing such behaviour and strengthening certain types of action. For instance, the municipal budget is allocating an additional 1.8 million euros to clean graffiti from heritage and non-heritage façades, collect commercial waste more often and control the practice of dumping household objects in the street. These efforts are being backed up by an information campaign on making proper use of public space.

The Cuidem Barcelona plan uses awareness, information and reporting with the aim of driving down uncivil behaviour identified at different points around the city. This type of conduct mainly involves graffiti on building façades and urban furniture, overflowing commercial waste containers and large household items left in the street outside of the set days and times.

Cleaning graffiti

Barcelona City Council has upped the budget by 1.8 million euros for teams which clean graffiti from heritage and non-heritage buildings, particularly in the district of Ciutat Vella. The City Council is also offering a graffiti-cleaning service for shops and businesses, which can be requested by calling 010. In addition, the City Police is stepping up reporting and fines for this type of behaviour as part of its summer operations.

Collecting commercial waste

Commercial waste collections are also being increased and will be daily, rather than every three days, to avoid containers overflowing, particularly with cardboard. To improve the management of this type of waste, teams of municipal information staff will also be telling shops and businesses about collection times and how to separate waste correctly.

Dumping large household items

Control and information tasks will also be stepped up to get people to leave large household items in the street at specified times on days established for each neighbourhood. Warning stickers will be placed on items dumped in public space outside of these times. Information on how and when to get rid of these items can be found at: https://www.barcelona.cat/cuidembarcelona/ca/reciclar/res/RM0093.

Other respectful behaviour promoted by the Cuidem Barcelona plan

The Cuidem Barcelona plan also fosters respectful behaviour to avoid public space becoming dirty, such as people picking up their dog’s mess or watering down dog urine, putting out cigarettes using the ashtrays on litter bins, respecting green spaces or taking pedestrians into consideration. More information at cuidem.barcelona.

Information teams in public space

A team of 44 environmental information staff will be visiting the city’s various neighbourhoods to inform citizens and commercial establishments about the proper use of public space, at the same time gathering data relating to incidents and issues arising from everyday use.