Construction and town planning

The Madrid Metro celebrated its 100th anniversary, bringing its one million daily passengers closer to the Spanish capital in a quick and sustainable manner. BBVA is especially pleased to join the centennial anniversary of its opening, made possible thanks to the financial support provided by the Banco de Vizcaya despite investors’ suspicion of this novel and pioneering form of transportation.

A responsible urban development, designed by and for the citizens,  that places people at its heart. A consensus project, in which all sides have worked and collaborated so that Madrid projects an image of the 21st century.

The streets of New York's Chinatown, Granada's Sacromonte neighborhood, or Southall (London's Little India) are examples of how people tend to live near others from the same place or social status. But businesses, restaurants, and bars are just as important meeting places as where we live. Esteban Moro, Professor at Universidad Carlos III and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), uses big data tools to analyze how people interact in these places.

Urban planning in the 20th Century was developed on the basis of the traditional concept of a car with a driver. The arrival of self-driving cars will make it necessary to rethink the design of cities and their suburbs.

The oldest private domestic bank in Argentina and one of the leaders in Latin America, BBVA Francés on October 14 marked its 130th year in operation and its 21st year as part of the BBVA Group. In the course of its history, BBVA Francés has gone from being a 20th century “temple of money,” to a powerhouse of digital banking in the Argentina of the 21st century.

“The images of buildings crumbling and the dust will stay with me for the rest of my life.” This is the phrase most repeated by BBVA Bancomer employees who, from the different floors of the Tower, witnessed one of the most devastating earthquakes ever to strike Mexico. One month after the quake, we discover some of the secrets that allow a 235-meters-tall colossus to stand.

BBVA launches Urban Discovery, an interactive tool open to everyone that analyzes the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Mexico City through the prism of their commercial activity. The analysis led to the creation of new maps that redraw urban borders and identify the most touristic and residential areas or those where young people go shopping.

Madrid tourists spend more near monuments and museums than those in Barcelona. People living in Vila de Gràcia in Barcelona have the same lifestyle as those in the Madrid neighborhood of Malasaña. Sant Antoni and Poble Sec are places that are popular to go out to dinner and then for a drink, and in Madrid, the Lavapies neighborhood is undergoing a transformation toward more cultural activity.

Under 30, entrepreneurs and digital. This are the common traits that define the young Europeans chosen by Forbes magazine in its '30 Under 30' list. A mobile navigation aide for the visually impaired, a meal kit delivery platform, a t-shirt that allows users to peek inside the human body, a nightlife finder in London... Many tech-related projects that deserve special attention.  Here we take a look at a few of them.

Urbanization in Latin America began to increase in the second half of the 20th Century, to reach nearly 80% of the population today. In spite of the great expansion in recent decades, BBVA Research predicts that there will be a certain moderation in this growth, until it reaches 86%.

The agreement reached with Metrovacesa Suelo y Promoción (hereinafter Metrovacesa S.A), in which BBVA holds a stake, represents a significant step forward in the bank’s real estate strategy.  BBVA participated in a non-monetary capital increase, together with the other shareholders, through which the bank will transfer high-potential land holdings intended for housing developments valued at €431 million.

BBVA Francés officially opened its new corporate headquarters in Buenos Aires. The tower is the tallest building in the Catalinas I and II complex and is located in Retiro – one of the best neighborhoods in the capital, next to the financial district and Puerto Madero. “We reconfirm our long-term commitment to Argentina with the opening of the tower today because we believe in the Argentine people and in their future,” BBVA’s Global Executive Chairman said at the ceremony in Buenos Aires. Francisco González met with the country’s President, Mauricio Macri, earlier at the Casa Rosada.

BBVA Compass’ investment in a newly constructed affordable housing project in Fort Worth was held up as a model of public and private cooperation last week during a VIP tour of the facility.

BBVA Compass is relying on a variety of vehicles -- including $16.3 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, a $17.2 million construction loan, $5.7 million in permanent debt, $1.2 million from the City of Fort Worth and $700,000 from the City of Fort Worth Housing Finance Corporation -- to finance the 140-unit development known as Columbia at Renaissance Square.

New York, Oslo, Vitoria or Bogotá… The world’s largest - and not so large – cities compete to be recognized as the ‘smartest’. But, what exactly is a ‘smart city’? Cities are trying to innovate to improve the living standards of their inhabitants

The BBVA Bancomer Tower is not just the colossus that welcomes passersby to Paseo de la Reforma - the city’s most prominent avenue, where also the pre-Hispanic and contemporary Mexicos meet – but it is also a prime example of architectural creativity.

Those visiting his office for the first time will find it hard to believe that the site for the Distrito Castellana Norte project can actually be seen from Antonio Béjar’s desk on a top floor of Plaza Castilla.