'We are creating a fabric of connectivity in the Lower Lea Valley.' Image courtesy of London 2012
Eleven years after Franco’s death, Barcelona had been appointed an Olympic city. From 1971 to 2011, 20 years after the Olympics had taken place, the green space in the city had tripled and tourist numbers had multiplied by 25. But how much of this was due to the Olympics, as opposed to Spain’s own history and ongoing regeneration? What lessons can be exported for use in London? Are the increased visits to Barcelona even an indicator of success?
These and many more questions were probed by London and Barcelona experts during the Catalan Observatory Olympics event. The transformation of the Barcelona harbourfront from slums to a tourist area and subsequently to a cluster of businesses was compared to the ongoing regeneration of London’s Lower Lea Valley, at the epicentre of some of the UK’s most socially deprived areas. Continue reading
‘We would need to be at the university by about 9.30, for four hours of seminars, lectures and guest speakers, plus private study in the library for essays and presentations,’ says Usoa, a 2009 participant. Borja, in 2010, elaborates: ‘We go to lectures and gain some basic knowledge, and then go into depth in the private seminars. I’ve enjoyed these seminars most – the academics were highly prepared and gave us insights from their own expertise. They made us think about the different reasons for policies and events. They pressed us hard and got us to think and argue from different angles in ways we would not have done otherwise.’ 
Our next LSE Strategy and Leadership in Spain event, held with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, will bring Alex Cruz, CEO of Vueling Airlines, to London.
10.30 – Tea and coffee
Weeks after Spain’s most austere budget for over thirty years, at a time when the Eurozone is again considered to be in crisis, Dr Pedro Schwartz of the University of San Pablo CEU is giving a talk in Madrid on The Future of the Euro.
