Lucie Mazet: <\/span>\u201cBarcelona has a great international reputation\u201d<\/h2>\nLucie Mazet, 30, who is French, moved to Barcelona 5 years ago following stays in Riga, Krakow, and London. She has worked in operations and support in a range of sectors, including finance, digital marketing, tourism, and the transport industry, but for the last 4 years, she has worked as an ad operations specialist at Criteo, a French ad tech company that has its mid-market office in Barcelona. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhy did you choose Barcelona?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nWhen I came back from Poland in 2015, I made a list of everything that was important to me in a city: good links with France, excellent quality of life, accessibility, professional development opportunities, multiculturalism, and the opportunity to use other languages. I was fortunate to find an interesting operations job at the fintech Kantox in the Mapfre Tower in Barcelona and didn’t hesitate to move here; I didn’t consider any other alternatives.<\/p>\n
What positive aspects of Barcelona would you highlight?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nWhen compared with Paris or London, Barcelona had superb quality of life. It’s just great living here: it is a multicultural, diverse city, each neighbourhood has its own soul, and there are numerous opportunities for sports and culture. What’s more, Barcelona is blessed with a Mediterranean climate and an ideal location between the mountain and the sea. And it has a great international reputation: I have the feeling that most people who have traveled in Europe have passed through or will pass through Barcelona at some stage. It’s as if everyone carries a piece of Barcelona in themselves.<\/p>\n
What aspects of the city should be improved? How?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nI think mass tourism has had a negative effect on the city, especially by pushing up rental prices and causing insecurity in the center. In fact, what I found most difficult when I arrived was finding an apartment: the prices and quality of rental properties are not in line with salaries. I hope rent control will improve this.<\/p>\n
What do you think will help Barcelona to get over the Covid-19 crisis?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nBarcelona is a dynamic and enterprising city and has its own special kind of energy. What surprised me most is the ability of inhabitants to work together to support each other in a creative manner. I think this unity is the key to overcoming this crisis. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat challenges do you think the city will face once the health emergency has subsided?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nAll my favorite shoe stores have closed during the Covid crisis; my family has had a local business in France for years and I can imagine their dismay right now. It will be very important to encourage local businesses, which are an important part of the life of Barcelona and its neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n
What do you hope to see in Barcelona in the years to come?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nI hope the city generates opportunities to enable everyone to find their place in the city and play a role in its development. I would also like to see more green spaces and greater access to joint initiatives. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhich city do you feel most at home in? What do you miss most?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nI feel most at home in Barcelona. When I walk down the Passatge del Clot where I live and say hello to all the local residents I bump into, I feel like I’m in a village within the city. I miss the enthusiasm and energy that one could sense in the city during the Mobile World Congress. I loved seeing the buzz, the innovation, and all the events around the congress. I always loved that week.<\/p>\n
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Read the interview in\u00a0El Peri\u00f3dico.<\/p>\n
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Why did you choose Barcelona?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n When I came back from Poland in 2015, I made a list of everything that was important to me in a city: good links with France, excellent quality of life, accessibility, professional development opportunities, multiculturalism, and the opportunity to use other languages. I was fortunate to find an interesting operations job at the fintech Kantox in the Mapfre Tower in Barcelona and didn’t hesitate to move here; I didn’t consider any other alternatives.<\/p>\n What positive aspects of Barcelona would you highlight?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n When compared with Paris or London, Barcelona had superb quality of life. It’s just great living here: it is a multicultural, diverse city, each neighbourhood has its own soul, and there are numerous opportunities for sports and culture. What’s more, Barcelona is blessed with a Mediterranean climate and an ideal location between the mountain and the sea. And it has a great international reputation: I have the feeling that most people who have traveled in Europe have passed through or will pass through Barcelona at some stage. It’s as if everyone carries a piece of Barcelona in themselves.<\/p>\n What aspects of the city should be improved? How?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n I think mass tourism has had a negative effect on the city, especially by pushing up rental prices and causing insecurity in the center. In fact, what I found most difficult when I arrived was finding an apartment: the prices and quality of rental properties are not in line with salaries. I hope rent control will improve this.<\/p>\n What do you think will help Barcelona to get over the Covid-19 crisis?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Barcelona is a dynamic and enterprising city and has its own special kind of energy. What surprised me most is the ability of inhabitants to work together to support each other in a creative manner. I think this unity is the key to overcoming this crisis. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What challenges do you think the city will face once the health emergency has subsided?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n All my favorite shoe stores have closed during the Covid crisis; my family has had a local business in France for years and I can imagine their dismay right now. It will be very important to encourage local businesses, which are an important part of the life of Barcelona and its neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n What do you hope to see in Barcelona in the years to come?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n I hope the city generates opportunities to enable everyone to find their place in the city and play a role in its development. I would also like to see more green spaces and greater access to joint initiatives. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Which city do you feel most at home in? What do you miss most?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n I feel most at home in Barcelona. When I walk down the Passatge del Clot where I live and say hello to all the local residents I bump into, I feel like I’m in a village within the city. I miss the enthusiasm and energy that one could sense in the city during the Mobile World Congress. I loved seeing the buzz, the innovation, and all the events around the congress. I always loved that week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read the interview in\u00a0El Peri\u00f3dico.<\/p>\n If you want to know the latest English news about Barcelona and the people who bring it to life, sign up to our Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.barcelonaglobal.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/elperiodico-2.jpg\")
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