Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, one of the most prosperous regions in southern Europe. Located on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona covers a surface area of some 102 square kilometers and has a total of 1.6 million inhabitants. Although a relatively small and dense city, it is integrated within a metropolitan area that spans 36 municipal districts with a total of 3.1 million inhabitants.

The development of the city’s tertiary sector and significant urban transformations since the mid-1980s have led to the gradual creation of landscapes designed for consumption and leisure. Hosting the Olympic Games in 1992 created a unique platform from which to project the city internationally as well as an exceptional opportunity for the renewal, growth, and diversification of the ...