Do car bans hurt politicians?

• Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal interviewed by
• Tim Phillips
• 20 Jun 2025

Pedestrianised areas, car-free streets, or low traffic neighbourhoods are increasingly visible in major cities. Whether in London, Paris, New York or Barcelona, these changes are always controversial – but does the loud criticism that we often hear in social media or newspapers really represent the views of voters who are affected by these policies?

Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal of the Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona Institute of Economics and CEPR spoke to Tim Phillips about whether Barcelona’s car-free "Superblocks" were vote-winners or vote-losers for the city’s mayor.