“I would copy Barcelona if I had to design an ideal city”, by Ricardo da Silva

Ricardo da Silva, 55 years old, married and has three daughters. He was born in Argentina and lived all his life in Buenos Aires until 4 years ago he decided to settle in Barcelona. He is a businessman and entrepreneur. He founded and runs a media and communication services company in Argentina and has launched in Spain a gastronomy brand dedicated to R&D, Mudá Plant-Based, which is already a leader in its segment backed by the Michelin Guide.

Why did you choose Barcelona?

I always imagined that Barcelona could be a very good place to live if I had to decide to leave my hometown. And with the passage of time, a lot of analysis and a lot of pain, I decided to leave Buenos Aires. It was a very difficult decision, but the choice of the city was very easy: I don't know a better place. I wanted to improve the quality of life of my family, look for a better future for my daughters, and bet on creating value in a stable productive environment. Barcelona is a city with personality, a cradle of talent and a vast cultural work.

What are the city’s strengths?

Well-constituted social fabric. Highly entrepreneurial DNA, productive genius. A network of support services for startups. Overflowing art. Gastronomy of the highest international quality. Size more than adequate to live it to the fullest. Cosmopolitan. Two thousand years of rich history. Strategic location in Spain and Europe. Enviable climate. All the structural aspects of the city are positive. If I had to design an ideal city, of course without being an urban planner, I would copy Barcelona.

Which aspects of the city need to be improved? How?

Pollution, and we can do it by valuing the different possibilities of mobility to the private car. It is sad to see from Collserola or Ronda de Dalt the city submerged in impure air. I don't think it can be solved only with bike lanes. I am struck by the meticulous effort that is made to separate waste in more and more alternatives and nobody leaves the car from Monday to Friday.

We also need to improve the way we deal with low-level crimes, mainly so that they do not become part of “normality”, or so that they cease to be so in certain neighborhoods of the city. And mainly, but not only in business, we must rethink the bureaucracy to streamline absolutely everything.

What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?

I hope that Barcelona regains the prominence of a city that knew how to overcome itself and grow. That the awareness of the great long-term achievements that throughout modern history have placed Barcelona in an interesting position on the global stage prevails and that, recovering a critical but constructive look, it returns to challenge itself, to determine itself as the great city that it is and responsible for the vanguard place it should occupy, with all the political, social, cultural, artistic, business and other actors aligned in that objective. What I hope most is that the native citizens of this beautiful city understand that it is the best, and that they love and care for it.

Which city do you consider to be your home city? What do you miss most?

Barcelona is my city, without a doubt. It is the city where my daughters are growing up and forging a future. I am very grateful for what Barcelona offers me, starting with its wonderful people with all their affection and hospitality: it is spectacular! My heart is Porteño and Buenos Aires will always be my place in the world and I can't help it, but I distinguish well between my place in the world and my city.

From Argentina I miss all the good things, which is a lot... But I try to exalt it, I try to be the best possible Argentinean, the one that my own country makes it difficult for me to display. And that being Argentinean to offer it here, to enrich it with a different perspective, to add and at the same time to learn to be a citizen of here. I miss family and friends, but fortunately what I miss is compensated because I enjoy a lot here, I gain life, time and good experiences. I contribute to the creation of value in the productive world and I work a lot in my businesses and new ventures, so sometimes I don't have enough time to miss everything and everyone I love.