Barcelona has announced a fresh wave of street renamings designed to increase female representation in the city’s public spaces. The Street Naming Commission has approved new names for nine locations, including streets, gardens and squares, all to commemorate women overlooked in the city’s history.
Until recently, only about 8% of Barcelona’s public streets carried women’s names, a statistic city officials have described as a stark imbalance. Among the latest changes are the transformation of Carrer Comte de Santa Clara into Carrer de Felícia Fuster i Viladecans and the designation of new public spaces such as Plaça de Valerie Powles in Sants-Montjuïc, Plaça de Lluïsa Alba in Nou Barris and Plaça de Lolita Torrentó in Sant Martí, each recognising figures who contributed to literature, trade unionism, politics or local activism.
The move forms part of the city’s Agenda 2030 commitment to gender equality and the promotion of women’s visibility in public life. Officials say the changes will help reshape collective memory and make the urban fabric more inclusive.
Although symbolic, campaigners have long argued that such measures matter. The names on maps and street signs, they note, reflect societal values and influence who is remembered and who is forgotten. By restoring recognition to these women, Barcelona hopes to balance the scales of visibility in its everyday geography.
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Source: Info Barcelona
