Information signposting on accessibility and degree of occupancy of beaches
Barcelona’s beaches are a highly frequented area throughout the year, and even more so during the summer months. It should be noted that the distribution of users is not homogeneous along the coastline; there is a higher concentration of users on the beaches closest to the city centre and a lower affluence of users to the east.
The beaches have become overcrowded at times, an issue that could be mitigated by providing beachgoers with more information on crowding levels. Specifically, signs were installed to indicate beach accessibility and occupancy levels.
What are we doing?
In 2020, an information system on the occupancy rate of the beaches was made available to users through the City Council’s website. Beach occupancy levels were calculated using cameras installed at different points along the beaches, but the system had certain limitations. In 2021, the decision was made to shift to manual counting while other technology options for optimising calculations, such as new drone technology, can be considered.
These data are collected and made available to users through the Barcelona City Council’s Swimming Areas and Beaches website, which provides camera footage and information on the occupancy level of each beach, and the Beach Information Service (SIP) is in charge of relaying information on site if the area’s capacity is exceeded and users need to be redistributed.
