The other day, while catching up on the latest news in the web and tech sector, I came across a story that really caught my eye—so much so that I think it deserves a mention on our young blog.
The city of Barcelona is now offering the .Barcelona domain to anyone interested.
Granted, it’s not as short as we’re used to—off the top of my head, a .bcn would have sufficed. But that one, which will also be released soon, is reserved exclusively for the city administration.
But that’s not the main point. What really matters here is that we now have the option to claim our own local domain—a clear move to put Barcelona even more firmly on the map.
Since last March, the Barcelona City Council has made the .Barcelona domain available to businesses, organizations, and individuals.
The city council expects around 20,000 registrations in the first three years and is confident that this new domain will strengthen Barcelona’s brand and its influence online.
Other European cities already have their own domains—Berlin, London, and Paris, for example.
Back in 2008, when this proposal was first being processed, some nationalist parties considered it a threat to the .cat domain. From our perspective, setting politics aside, we believe there’s plenty of room for both domains to coexist without issue.
For now, Barcelona is the only city where this initiative comes directly from the city council; in the other cities mentioned, it’s a private initiative. Kudos to our local government for leading the way.
It’s also the only Spanish city to have claimed its own local top-level domain (TLD).
In general terms, the process involves requesting the domain and then activating it. Only companies and websites based in Barcelona, or with content tied to the city, are eligible to apply.
For complete details, it’s best to contact the organization managing the process, Fundacio.cat, which also manages the .cat domain.
This is a bold step to boost the city’s profile, making the domain a reference point for businesses in Barcelona. In one way or another, it’s sure to drive growth in the city and surrounding areas, giving our online presence even greater impact.
After discussing this news with colleagues, I’ve concluded that it’s not just our web design studio that’s excited—everyone in the web design and development sector is celebrating.
For those interested, the launch fee to reserve a domain is 100 euros per year, but from the end of March, the price will drop to 40 euros annually—a very competitive rate.
If you have a project in mind, this could be the perfect way to give it that unique, personal touch you’ve been looking for. Let’s not forget, we’re living in the digital and personal era. We need to create things that are new and innovative, but also personal and distinctive—uniquely ours, yet accessible to everyone.
Personally, I’m proud that our city is supporting and promoting our passion: web design, development, graphic design, and commerce.
From now on, we look forward to receiving lots of requests for cool designs with a .Barcelona domain.
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