We’ve laid some cobblestones

One of the funniest moments of Josep Lluís Núñez’s time as president of F.C. Barcelona was the explanation he gave in a members’ meeting detailing the year’s investments. “We’ve put cobblestones around the stadium for when ‘it’ rained,” he said, justifying the idea.

The cobblestone, a stone piece about the size of a brick, was for a long time the paving of choice in Barcelona and many other cities. It is the Roman pavement of the Appian Way, the one that was extended, in different sizes and shapes, first to Brindisi and later to the rest of the empire, across all roads leading to Rome.

In the early 20th century, Barcelona was dubbed by the press as “Can Fanga,” precisely because of the mud that would form in its streets with just a little rain. This primitive and immediate action, consisting of paving the ground, could be said to be the first act of urbanization; the first thing someone would do if they wanted to cross a shallow river. In Barcelona, it allowed people to walk comfortably on the street without getting their shoes, pants, or skirts dirty. In the entrances of many houses, there are still cast-iron pieces in the shape of an H anchored to the ground, to get rid of the mud on the soles before entering the homes. The explanation that Núñez gave to the members reflected this construction tradition, ingrained in the memory of the Barcelonans.

The increase in vehicular traffic revealed some problems with this paving. The gradual wear of the cobblestones makes the pieces more blunt and polished. We’ve all experienced a slip on a motorcycle or had to brake longer until we bumped into the car in front. One of the family stories I hear frequently is about an aunt of mine who went into labor at Plaza Tetuán due to the jostling of the cobblestones while driving. Among pedestrians, there are also heels that get stuck between the joints, twisted or tripped. And cyclists have also occasionally found their wheels caught between the joints, losing balance. It is undeniable that these pavements require more frequent replacement and maintenance to prevent the deterioration of the safety conditions of the street.

Cobblestones have also served as battle elements in confrontations and social protests throughout history, not only in Barcelona but in many other cities, both to build barricades and as projectiles. The confrontations of the nights of October 2019 in Barcelona are not too far behind. A conflict delayed by the pandemic that, despite some insisting on filing it away, remains latent. The street has always been the stage where social differences and confrontations are highlighted.

The necessary reduction of vehicles should not be an argument to ignore other problems that cobblestones bring

For these and other reasons, in recent years cobblestones have been gradually replaced by asphalt. A continuous material, with uniform erosion, which reduced many of the described inconveniences. It is also a quieter pavement for traffic. Many of the streets have been recently resurfaced with a mixture of recycled rubber from tires to further reduce the noise level through reflection.

However, asphalt has excessively covered the city’s surface, preventing water from reaching the subsoil. For years, we’ve collected water from the street surface, directed it to the sewer, and from there to the sea or the treatment plant, altering its natural cycle. It’s necessary to partially restore this cycle, which, in addition to soil hydration, has other collateral effects, such as reducing temperature (urban heat island effect) or the growth of plant species and the consequent colonization of other living organisms. A more naturalized city, more pleasant and respectful of the environment.

The old cobblestone paving allowed water to filter between the joints, with all the benefits that this entails. It’s not surprising that the Barcelona City Council is now replacing asphalt with cobblestones again. In the proposals for the city’s new green axes and superblocks, we see the return of this familiar solution, this time with a single platform, meaning the same pavement at the same level across the entire width of the street, for both cars and pedestrians. It’s something that has often been used in pedestrian zones in Gracia or Les Corts, for example, but never in axes of the Eixample since it was replaced by asphalt. However, we should be able to offer solutions that don’t bring back already-known inconveniences. The necessary reduction of vehicles should not be an argument to ignore other problems that cobblestones bring, in which cars do not participate.

In the competition recently launched by the City Council for the redesign of the characteristic “panot” of Barcelona, the deadline for submission of which has just ended, it seems that some requirements are in line with anticipating these inconveniences. Not all cobblestones are addressed, but it’s a first step. Moreover, issues like the energy used in manufacturing, environmental impact, and permeability with the ground are being evaluated. Companies that were already in advanced stages of experimentation and industrialization have been invited to compete, so perhaps we’ve missed some more imaginative scenarios.

In any case, the initiative has much more significance in the lives of the city’s inhabitants than it might seem at first glance. We should expect the proposals to go beyond just updating the “panot” image for fashion’s sake. To be able to explain something more than the simple photo where some cobblestones have been placed.