The post-Olympic urban transformation that took place in the Sant Martí district in Barcelona's Poblenou, known as 22@, is now at a time when it can be a great opportunity to transcend its largely achievable goal. We divide the story of this transformation into four stages:

First stage (1998-2004): in which an imaginative urban plan is conceptualized to transform more than one hundred and ten Eixample blocks, classified from 22a (industrial) to 22 @, with the idea of making city and attracting activity technology and telecommunications companies (TIC).

Second stage (2005-2014): in which a significant number of derived plans and projects are developed that allow to achieve the changes of use (from 22@ to 22@T), the change from industrial to tertiary is consolidated. However, after several years of intense activity, with the onset of the crisis in 2009, they slowed down dramatically, although much of the 22@ south was consolidated.

Third stage (2014-2020): In which the stopped plans and projects are resumed and consolidated, while the preliminary studies are timidly started. On the one hand, it completes the 22@ south, and gradually looks north. Although it should be emphasized that the general situation in Barcelona today, and in particular in 22@, is a consequence of several factors that have converged and triggered in a very large number of tertiary projects (office buildings, residences and others). These factors include:

- Need to attract and retain talent

- Obsolescence and poor quality of existing office buildings

- Dramatic reduction of hotel projects due to the PEUAT (Special Urban Planning for Tourist Accommodation)

- Demand for state-of-the-art buildings (welfare of the people)

- Severe reduction of housing projects by the application of 30%

- Local and foreign investment pressure to position in the district

In short, in this third stage, it has gone from a destination proposed by the offer to one requested by the demand.

And now there is a fourth stage of transformation (2021-2030) that recognizes the work done that has provided a large number of streets, passages, parks, squares, buildings, etc. of last generation and with high occupations, which has consequently increased the number of people coming to work in the neighborhood. And this is where the crux of the matter lies: why are they coming? If so many people commute to work, wouldn't it be great (or desirable and surely normal) to be able to live close to work with all the time and energy consumption involved? In addition, a very high percentage are foreigners who want to live in Poblenou, which results in a lot of hardening due to the lack of a suitable housing stock.

However, current regulations do not allow for the construction of homes, so it would have to be as imaginative as it was in the first stage. Today the needs have changed and tomorrow they will continue to do so. As the father of relativity put it, "we do not want things to change if we always do the same." We do not shy away from new formulas such as coliving and cohousing, halfway between conventional housing, residence, aparthotel and hotel; with good regulation a part of the problem could be solved. Aware of the difficulties and reluctance, but from the optimism I practice, I suggest that we all succeed.

By Albert Blanch, Arquitecte BCA