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 high occupancy of the beaches has at times reached saturation, which could be alleviated with prior information on the expected numbers of visitors in this area. Due to the pandemic, in which it was also necessary to guarantee a safe distance to avoid contagion, it was essential to definitively promote the project of informative signposting on the accessibility and level of occupancy of the beaches.
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. The measurement of the degree of occupancy of the beaches was carried out using cameras installed at different points along the beaches. The system, however, had some limitations and in 2021 it was decided to carry out the calculations manually while different technological options were being studied. A pilot test was carried out in 2021 to measure occupancy using drones, with highly satisfactory results that could be implemented from then onwards.
The information obtained is channelled and made available to users through the Barcelona City Council’s Bathing areas and Beaches website, which provides information on the occupancy rate of each beach and where images of the beaches can also be viewed through the cameras.
