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In 1999 Pontevedra's mayor removed street parking, eliminated most…

2026-06-26 · 23:07 UTC ·@pitdesi ·1 min read

Brief

Pontevedra transformed its historic center beginning in 1999 when a new mayor removed street parking, eliminated most through‑traffic, and limited car access to residents, deliveries, taxis and emergencies. After initial fury from shop owners the city became calmer, safer, less polluted and more walkable with higher foot traffic and busier businesses. The mayor still serves 27 years later; the author calls it a lively hidden gem and argues cities improve when public space prioritizes people over car storage.

Why it matters

In 1999 Pontevedra's mayor removed street parking, eliminated most through‑traffic, and restricted car access to residents, deliveries, taxis and emergencies.

Key details

  • Store owners initially protested, but the changes made the city calmer, safer, less polluted and more walkable; foot traffic replaced car traffic and businesses became busier.
  • The same mayor has been re‑elected for 27 years (since 1999) and is described as Spain's longest‑serving mayor among large cities; the author calls Pontevedra a lively 'hidden gem' and says public space works better when prioritized for people over parked cars.
Source evidence

On our Camino trek, tonight we stopped in Pontevedra, Spain.

a few mins into walking around we both noted this city felt weirdly great and alive (yet not chaotic) in a way other cities just don’t

Busy plazas, kids running around, people sitting outside, restaurants spilling into the streets. It felt like the city was built for humans.

It wasn’t immediately clear why it was this way so I asked chat what was going on and got a great answer (paraphrased)

In 1999, a new mayor made a very controversial bet: the city center should be for people, not parked cars.

He moved fast. Pontevedra removed street parking, eliminated most through-traffic, and kept only the useful car access: residents, deliveries, taxis, emergencies.

At first, people hated it.

Store owners were absolutely furious. The obvious objection was: if customers can’t park at the curb, they won’t come.

But then people actually lived with the change and really liked it

The city got calmer, safer, more walkable, less polluted, and more alive. Foot traffic replaced car traffic and businesses got busier than ever.

The mayor keeps getting reelected, still there 27 years later (he’s Spain’s longest serving mayor among large cities)

Of all the cities we’ve visited on this trip through Europe, Pontevedra (which I had not heard of before) is the liveliest, a hidden gem!

I don’t think every city should ban cars, but it seems obvious that cities get a lot better when the best public space is used for people instead of car storage.