XXI century Barcelona is a city prosperous and confident of its future, with international projection, which focuses on culture, quality of life, innovation, solidarity and sustainability. The conclusion of a new event in 2004, the Universal Forum of Cultures, allowed some urban changes even greater: it recovered all Besós area, previously inhabited by old factories into disuse, regenerating the entire district and building Poblenou the new Diagonal Mar district could also build the Sant Adria Marina, and allowed to reach the Avenida Diagonal towards the sea. In addition, the Forum gave to the new city parks and open spaces for recreation for citizens, new upscale hotel rooms, and two new buildings for exhibitions and conferences that gave new possibilities to the city's economic profile. After the event the Forum, the Council has sought to use the site for concerts, exhibitions and events to attract more people to place and keep the area is abandoned. Even so, as during their lifetime, over the next year the place has not been so visited as planned.
The profound changes experienced by holding events like the 1992 Olympic Games and the Forum in 2004 left a new city, cosmopolitan and cultural attractive both for wealthy citizens to international tourism. The price paid by the locals was the exorbitant increase in land prices, which caused a spectacular rise in the prices of apartments, bringing to Barcelona as one of the most expensive cities in Europe, with floors at the same price level as cities Madrid or Paris.
These years have also gained new cultural facilities such as the MACBA, the Centre of Contemporary Culture, the National Theatre and the Auditorium, or the new facilities of the Archives of the Crown of Aragon was also rebuilt after the fire suffered Liceo in 1994. The skyline has changed again after the construction of a cylindrical skyscraper, the Tower Agbar.
Communications have improved with the arrival of the AVE, which links the city with the Catalan capital. But still not completed the net, which must also bind Barcelona with Paris, while that remains the hub of the Mediterranean with Valencia. Have expanded the port and the Airport with the aim of making Barcelona's logistics center in Southern Europe. Is also expanding the metro network, currently under construction, line 9, which will link the towns of Badalona and Santa Coloma in the Free Zone and the airport when completed will be the longest metro line in Europe. Also planned is the construction of a new ring road to improve communications in the metropolitan area.
Among the latest actions of the council include the nomination of Barcelona, with Catalan stations in the Pyrenees, for the Winter Olympics in 2022. On the town, was held between 10 and 16 May 2010 a referendum to decide on the future redevelopment of the Diagonal, with three options: boulevard, avenue or not to proceed with surgery. Won the third option for a 79.84% of the vote, which meant a setback for the government of Jordan Hereu supporter of reforma.