Sundays from noon to 8pm: extended commercial timetables in force in central Barcelona
Shops will be able to open all days from May 15 to September 15, as employees fear being forced to work on Sunday
áreas
Urbanites look to countryside as cities lose appeal during pandemic
Catalonia’s most scarcely populated villages see “opportunity” to attract new inhabitants
Barcelona to protect 228 historical shops in order to save the city's identity
On Thursday, Barcelona's City Council announced the inclusion of 228 historical and iconic commercial establishments in the new catalogue for protection of the city's urban heritage. However, 161 of the 389 shops initially identified were left out. The aim is to prevent the shops from disappearing due to the pressure of the rental market and therefore being transformed into a multinational franchise. The new catalogue, which will have 3 levels of protection, is part of a special plan for the protection and promotion of urban quality, due to be approved before the end of 2015 (because of May's municipal elections). The plan also identifies a series of areas where limited interventions will be allowed in order to preserve the quality of the urban environment. Among them are Ciutat Vella, Eixample's central area, Sagrada Família and the historical centres of Gràcia, Sant Andreu, Poblenou and Poble-sec.
The expropriation of YPF, no concern to Catalan businessmen in Argentina
Sixty Catalan companies work out of the country and more than 2,400 export to the Argentinean Republic. “The lack of legal certainty in Argentina is not new, […] so the firms that do business […] have learnt to coexist with constant changes in the legislation”, stated AIS Sales Director.
Áreas consolidates its international business by managing USA’s largest highway rest stop
The Catalan company Áreas will manage two service areas in the United States until 2047, including the largest in the entire country, located on the I-95 in Maryland, the busiest motorway in the US. The Catalan company will invest $56 million in their renovation, which will produce a turnover of about $1.8 billion in 35 years. With this operation, Áreas becomes the second largest operator in the US. The Catalan multinational ended the 2011 financial year with a turnover of €649 million, which represents 4% more than in 2010. This growth has been possible due to the company’s expansion in international markets.
The University of Lleida develops a model to screen urban spaces from all over the world
50 international experts are working in Lleida on the Base Plan, which aims to be a reference tool for the United Nations. The project makes “radiographies” of cities to point out the physical and strategic aspects of the urban areas over the next ten years.
Greenpeace alerts that 89% of non-protected seashores in Catalonia have buildings
According to a Greenpeace study, the situation of the Catalan coast is delicate. Not considering the already protected shores, 89% have the presence of buildings.