Over the last twenty years, Barcelona has reached the apex of its public appeal, the time has come for a critical evaluation of its recent past. Barcelona is an emblematic example of how a European and Mediterranean city can be radically transformed. Starting from the eighties of the last century, through investment in contemporary architecture, tourism and advanced services, the city abandoned its traditional identity as an industrial centre. After 1992, following the Olympics and the international success the city enjoyed as a result, Barcelona became a model city, renowned for its architecture, urban projects, attention to urban morphology and context, thanks to the large number of public spaces and facilities created and complex public-private collaborations.