«Barcelona must define its essence with a vision for the future, as Gaudí did, and evolve without forcing changes», by Víctor Gutiérrez de Tena Catalán

The New Barcelona Post speaks this month with Víctor Gutiérrez de Tena Catalán, one of the young participants in the leadership and city program organized by Barcelona Global, Barcelona 2040. Expert in brand building, Gutiérrez de Tena holds the position of Chief Strategy Officer at EssenceMediacom Spain. With over 10,000 employees across 120 offices worldwide, the company has established itself as one of the leading communication and media agencies.

The aim of this interview series is to give this new generation of leaders a chance to share their vision on the future Barcelona they aspire to, as well as their impactful proposals to improve the city.

What do you expect from the Barcelona of 2040?

Barcelona has always been a city in the making. In 1859, Cerdà designed the Eixample not for his own time, but for a future metropolis. With fewer than 200,000 inhabitants, he planned a city for one million, featuring wide streets and a modular grid that could expand beyond the old city walls. In the same spirit, Cerdà’s vision was the backbone of the 19th century; today, we need a nervous system for the 21st century, where every street, square, and rooftop acts as a sensor and generator of data and energy, supporting new ways of working, moving, and living.

Which city would you compare Barcelona to?

A city does not impose its identity, it builds it by creating spaces where people adapt and evolve alongside it. Barcelona should not try to resemble anyone else, but rather equip itself with the tools that allow for its transformation. Investment lies not in change itself, but in the foundations on which society can make it possible. The mistake is to politicize it or seek ownership; cities are not individual projects, but collective visions that take shape over time. Just as happened with Modernism, which united art, technology, and society without imposing a single perspective, but rather the interpretation of a single vision. Barcelona must create structures that enable its evolution with coherence. Change always sparks controversy, but if it follows a clear logic and addresses a real need, time will validate it.

Which city model do you think Barcelona should resemble?

We should not try to resemble any other city, but rather evolve from our own structure and identity. We don’t have an empty page like Cerdà did, but we do have the responsibility to reorganize space to adapt to new ways of living and working. The challenge is not only urban but also cultural: to define a vision that guides transformation without falling into passing trends. If there is a symbolic reference, it is the Sagrada Familia, a construction from the past that continues according to its original plan while the city changes around it. Barcelona must do the same: define its essence with a vision for the future, as Gaudí did, and evolve logically, without forcing changes, without senselessness, and without resisting the inevitable.

What is the main challenge Barcelona must address in the coming years?

Barcelona’s challenge is not to grow, but to organize itself more efficiently and with common sense. Mobility should not ban cars, but rather show that they are unnecessary by providing efficient transport and well-connected neighborhoods. Housing cannot be solved by regulating prices alone; it requires expanding supply with flexible models that respond to new ways of living. And the economy should strengthen industries aligned with the city, such as biotechnology, sustainable innovation, and the creative industries, sectors that contribute to urban vitality and ensure a prosperous and balanced future.

What do you think should be the role of the new generations and their involvement in the development of the city?

New generations will not build Barcelona through strategic plans, but through the way they live, just as we did, and as those who come after us will. The city is not an imposed project, but the result of millions of daily choices within a structural framework that facilitates its evolution. The true role of each generation is not to inherit a finished city, but to adapt and transform what we have behind. It's not about imposing models, but about creating conditions for emerging solutions to evolve coherently. The cities that endure are not those that try to control everything, but those that establish open frameworks where each generation can find its own path.

What business sectors do you think Barcelona should invest in?

Barcelona must attract investment that not only creates jobs but also modernizes its industry and updates it economy. It's not enough to simply bring in companies; we need to define the kind of city we want and attract the talent and investment that make it possible. Autonomous mobility should bring with it a technological ecosystem that drives development and management of smart infrastructure. Flexible housing will not only provide a solution for living but also create opportunities to energize construction and develop new financing models. Digitalization should strengthen strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and others we recognize as essential. The future is not just about growth, but about building a model that ensures Barcelona remains a benchmark for those of us who live here and for those who wish to.