“How can your neighborhood stop and sit for a while without paying? “There are probably fewer public banks than you thought.” With this message, data analyst Abel Vázquez Montoro shared on
Even if, from a bird’s eye view, the city is filled with green dots (benches) and to a lesser extent blue dots (fountains), you only need to zoom in to see the inequalities throughout the capital. Retiro Park is the enclave with the greatest concentration of benches and fountains. In fact, the strong presence of these elements in green spaces is a constant throughout the city and the elimination of wooded areas generally also implies the reduction of these elements of rest (as one user points out regarding the disappearance of the park of Comillas).
On the other hand, one of the most curious anomalies, unsurprisingly, is found in Sol. Despite its central location, the administrative district of the Centro district is one of the most soulless in Madrid, which fuels the eternal controversy over the hostility that surrounds it. Zero kilometer.
– Abel Vázquez Montoro (@abel_vm) October 2, 2024
In this sense, areas of Vallecas like Entrevías, Usera (Orcasur), Latina (Cuatro Vientos) or Villaverde Alto have many more gaps than most territories. It is in the south, while in the north, the few facilities of this type stand out in the neighborhoods of Berruguete (Tetuán) or Valverde (Fuencarral-El Pardo). Differences exist between the richest and poorest neighborhoods in Madrid, but also between neighborhoods within the same neighborhood.
The absence of banks in certain neighborhoods also reveals the few sidewalks and the limited space that pedestrians generally have to move around.
Benches for sitting:
Vallecas Bridge | Salamanca District pic.twitter.com/Qbag4faH8a
-Daniel Ayuso Miranda (@Dani_AyusoVk) October 3, 2024
In the Hortaleza district, depending on the neighborhood, the number varies considerably, the more expensive the area, the more banks, the census by age does not matter. The state of the parks is now complete, Juan Pablo II Park, intact, Santa María Park half abandoned except for pruning.
– Javier Pino Ruiz (@justiciaunivers) October 3, 2024
Other enclaves like Ciudad Universitaria or Casa de Campo also have a lower concentration of banks and fountains, although in this case this can be justified by the geography of the land and the lower population density.
The comprehensive map, viewable at this link, has a search engine in the upper right corner where you can enter any specific location in Madrid to check the banks and fountains located in that area. Useful information for resting and regaining strength without having to order a beer on the terrace.
The existence of benches distributed in the streets not only constitutes an important place of rest, but also facilitates the mobility of the elderly, as the Nación Rotonda reminded us years ago in an interesting thread or as Sergio Fanjul reminded us said in this report.
