Álvaro Reynolds, based in Mallorca, Spain, passionately advocates for public initiatives that improve cities, such as Cork, as outlined by David McWilliams in his compelling opinion piece on September 28th, Weekend edition. Reynolds appreciates McWilliams’ reference to Bilbao as a model city for urban revitalisation, a city he spent a year in under the Erasmus education scheme during 1996-97.
During Reynolds’s tenure there, finishing works were being added to the Guggenheim and the metro was just launching. Despite these developments, the city still possessed a grimy, post-industrial character. Exceptional leadership from successive visionary mayors spearheaded Bilbao’s transformation, a factor which seems to be absent in the case of Cork and most Irish cities.
Reynolds attributes the key to such urban rejuvenation to local government and decentralisation. Bilbao is not unique in Spain – take Málaga, for instance, which has transformed from a decrepit, post-industrial harbour city into a sought-after cultural destination boasting a multitude of museums, once again, thanks to the guidance of a visionary mayor.
He points out that both Málaga and Bilbao, though smaller than Dublin, have metro systems. Even the city of Palma in Mallorca, where Reynolds currently resides, boasts a metro line, stretching all the way from the outskirts of the old town to the university campus. The creation of such infrastructures has been facilitated by local rather than national administration, Reynolds argues.
However, Reynolds does caution against potential issues such as unprofitable initiatives and corruption which have plagued regions like Valencia. Despite these potential risks, the Spanish model of allowing local governments to lead urban renewal projects has transformed their cities into flourishing tourist hubs.
Reynolds ends expressing his eager anticipation for the evolution of local governance in Ireland, wishing Limerick every success with its new enterprise of having a directly elected mayor.