Calle Valentín Masip en Oviedo, 1980 and 2018
The Calle Valentín Masip is a bustling thoroughfare in Oviedo, Spain, connecting the La Argañosa to the city. The 1980 street is flanked by postmodern architecture that hides the scars of Spanish Civil War and the Siege of Oviedo, with the city supporting the Nationalist side, just forty four years before. The road takes its name from Mayor Valentín Masip Acevedo, a champion of public works who helped develop the road into the commercial and residential district seen in both the 1980 and 2018 image. In the thirty-year span between images, the buildings didn’t change much, but the street itself underwent a transformation. Streetscaping trees line the widened sidewalks, supplying shade, a swath of green, and more space to walk. Classical lanterns replaced gooseneck lights. Benches provide some rest for pedestrians. Despite the architecture staying the same, the street became much more pedestrian friendly.