The diverse nature of the features and areas coexisting in Park Güell —heritage, natural, historic, services, etc.— mean that management and conservation of the site is complex. Its maintenance, as well of that of its immediate urban surroundings, therefore depends on coordination between various municipal departments.
The challenge is finding a balance between tourist activities and social uses, so that local residents from the adjacent neighbourhoods are able to enjoy the park in a relaxed way. The huge increase in the number of visitors from all over the world in recent years, and the sensation that the park is a place for tourists, has meant that city residents have stayed away and are unaware of the natural wealth to be found there.
Park Güell is one of the largest green spaces in Barcelona, open to all citizens and with an own governance model for its complexity.
For this reason, Barcelona City Council proposed a new governance model that would help to bring the park back to the city. . And in 2018 the government measure “2017-2022 Strategic Plan for Park Güell” was approved. This programme includes various actions aimed at fostering social use, reducing the impact of overcrowding and continuing to conserve its natural and architectural heritage
One of the 198 actions that have been validated through dialogue with city residents consists of creating a governance body where decisions are made in a participative way. It consists of a consultative body called the Park Güell Promotion and Monitoring Group, constituted in June 2018. There are representatives from various City Council areas, professionals and experts, as well as local-resident associations and the other owners from inside the park
STRATEGIC PROPOSAL FOR PARK GÜELL
OUTLINE OF THE MODEL
The management body provided for in the measure is the Park Güell Technical Secretariat, which is responsible for carrying out the tasks of the Promotion and Monitoring Group’s secretary, the working groups and the Executive Technical Commission. From a cross-departmental perspective, it coordinates all the municipal operators and projects under the auspices of the Manager's Office for Urban Ecology.
