Submitted by David Yoncha on the 2016 spring semester program in Barcelona, Spain…
Below is a picture of the Picasso Museum in el Born, a district in the Ciutat Vella, the old city of Barcelona. It is located in five mansions along Carrer Montcada, a street built on land given to the Montcada family by Pedro II. The street was one of the first to branch out from the medieval city walls. It connected the city to the sea and represented a breakthrough for people living in the unsanitary space within the city walls. Today the area is a popular destination for tourists because of all the museums. While the museums have brought money and prestige to the city, the effects on the immediate neighborhoods remain unclear. Many locals complain about the noise heard on the streets throughout the year. The fact that balconies are present on nearly every residential building in all of Barcelona does not help the noise problem.