“Barcelona must position itself as a city with a high quality of life”, por Sebastian Mader

Sebastian Mader is German, in couple, is 28 years old and has been living in Barcelona for the last 2 years. Sebastian has lived in Munich, Melbourne, Bangor and Stuttgart before choosing Barcelona to work and live. He is a Senior Analyst and Leader of automotive projects at Nethodology, a Spanish market research company specialised in Consumer Insights, Brand Reputation and Social Intelligence.

Why did you choose Barcelona?

I always answer this question with the same sentence: because the city has everything. It is true that others also have ‘everything’ or at least a lot to offer, but Barcelona combines a great cultural, professional and a great offer of activities in a very compact space in general . It allows you to combine work, your social life and sport easily without long distances (in Munich it is usually one hour). And being German I have to mention the climate which obviously allows you to enjoy many outdoor activities such as concerts, cinema or sport.

What aspects of the city would you highlight as positive?

Barcelona is a very innovative city. Although there is a lot of fluctuation of talent that moves here for a few years, both they and those who have lived here all their lives leave their mark. The sum of foreign and local talent is a very powerful combination.

What aspects of the city need to be improved? How?

A large part of the flow of people in the city centre is determined by tourism and mobility. I believe that, if the city would improve both, it could change the image of a ‘city saturated with tourists’.

Many cities can serve as role models here, such as Munich, which has a high level of acceptance of tourism among the population because it promotes destinations beyond the old city centre that combats overcrowded streets. We must also work to improve street cleanliness. One thing that makes me miss German cities is the clean streets.

What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?

Barcelona must create strategic plans defining how to receive mass tourism in a more sustainable and less exhausting way for its people. It should also promote itself more as a city of higher education and professional possibilities and not only as one of the best tourist destinations.

Where do you feel most at home? What do you miss most?

Making the leap to move to Barcelona without a network of friends or family is one of the best decisions in my life. While I miss my family and friends who are still in Germany, Barcelona has been very welcoming. It is an amazing city and,apart from tourists, I am confident that it will continue to attract professionals because it manages to offer the possibility to combine your professional life with a fantastic quality of life.

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