TBF the street width probably wouldn't be legal in Spain, either, if it was built this century. Europe doesn't build like this anymore.

It would be illegal to build anywhere in Europe today as well. This is medieval street. Modern stuff isn't built to be cozy. Even 19th century avenues were planned in a way that you could charge with calvary at the unruly masses.

That said, modern developments often do have nice outdoors as well but its usually more in the open.

Looks like a nightmare for many wheelchair users.

In the U.S. you can rape children (and adults) and be the president. So I don't think there's much value in comparing things to their legal status in the U.S.

I’m super anti-car. But the other 2 points are legitimate issues. Y a kitchen caught for you need multiple paths out and the ability for a crew to get to the scene. This street would still be charming of it was a few feet wider and wasn’t a death trap lol

Go to any image search and you will find dozens of pictures from Melbourne, Australia of outdoor dining in car free laneways (alleys) though with proper pedestrian access and accessibility. Imagine trying to get through that place in a wheelchair. There is a market for car free spaces anywhere in the world, even in car cultures like Australia. Given an opportunity people vote with their wallets on these things.

Focusing on medieval streets reinforces the idea that modern cities can not have nice places. They often have lots of great spaces which are under utilized or used poorly. Pedestrianizing those under utilized spaces like alleys can revitalize a local economy.

How does one take a pleasant photo like this and use it to bitch about cars?

There’s plenty of reasons to bitch about cars. And, the Internet is full of photos of the shitty environment created by cars. This photo doesn’t have to be one of them and it’s fucking stretch to make it about cars.

This is like 20 minutes from me in... America! First one of many that came to mind. Keep circle jerking though.

Spaniard love to eat outside for some reason. Sometimes you will see couple of small tables on a sidewalk right next to a busy street because people just prefer to sit outside, even if it not pleasant at all. Maybe it's because inside it's usually so noisy you can't have a conversation without shouting...

Funny (well, funny enough) story: a friend was visiting me in Spain and as we were looking for a place to eat she goes "let's go to the port, we will be able to see the water". I was like "that's a weird priority... but ok". So we find a nice place in the port, sit down, I look around and the restaurant was full British people sitting on one side of the table looking at the sea.

Weird how every nation is obsessed with some details others don't really care about.

I ate at a place in Pasadena that was similarly laid out and it was great.

Now all I can think of is a cop car just smashing through that alley, like every chase scene in the 80’s

The fire safety is bad but maybe the brick buildings make it less of a risk?

I personally wouldn't call it charming.

Crowded. Small. Blocking the pavement. Inside concrete jungle. Hot as fuck.

I'm pretty sure it's the stone buildings and street that make it charming. Three feet (one metre) of additional width would not remove the charm and emergency vehicles do not need access to pedestrian malls in the US.

The only thing stopping an American developer from building this in the US is cost. We don't depreciate buildings over centuries, and neither do the Spanish. New developments in Spain look nothing like this.