Homage to Catalonia: Exploring Barcelona’s cycling revolution

The children attached purple balloons to their bags and to their bicycles – in recognition of international women’s day – and music blared out before they set off for school. Put simply by Mireia Boix, a mother and volunteer with the BiciBus, if the city doesn’t provide the people with safe bike lanes, then we’re going to take over the roads every Friday morning during the school run until they do. “People ask us why we don’t we use bike lanes,” says Genis Dominguez, another parent and the founder of BiciBus. “The change is hard for them,” says Sabate of the shopkeepers, “but this is the future and so far it seems that the businesses are doing even better where the superblocks are.” open image in gallery The new superblocks will transform urban spaces London’s low traffic neighbourhoods have been a start, but so much more needs to be done. Sharing bikes, and other forms of transport, is key to reducing congestion in the city, says Valdes, and Barcelona’s council is aiming to push sharing initiatives, like Bicing, across the city.