Ciutat Meridiana residents participate in student workshop

A student listens to a local resident to map her daily routes and accessibility issues through the steep topography of the neighborhood

As we announced on Friday, our students set up a community participation session this weekend in Ciutat Meridiana as part of the Ciutat Meridiana workshop, which aims to improve the living conditions of this peripheral Barcelona neighborhood with the highest eviction rate in Spain. In collaboration with the local municipality, students collected vital data about the neighborhood’s urban conditions and called upon residents to share their experiences, concerns and most pressing needs.

With the information collected, students are developing a series of tools and intervention proposals that will aid the residents and elected officials in improving their own neighborhood. These include a guide map of cultural routes of the neighborhood, a manual for citizen participation for the physical improvement of the neighborhood, an online crowdmap of vacant apartments and opportunities for public spaces, a diagnostic and proposal for enhanced mobility and a proposal for a civic axis connecting the different areas of the neighborhood, all of which will be officially presented on December 19th. Stay tuned!

A few images from the participation session:

Students welcoming community members to participate in discussions about the neighborhood through maps, surveys, voting and treats!
Professors and students question the public about their perception of Ciutat Meridiana and the surrounding areas and facilitiesExplaining tools to understand the community needs and examine which areas are most important to themStory Corner: where our better Spanish speakers listen to detailed stories of how the neighborhood functionsVoting station – The results of the residents’ evaluations and ideas for improving the area
Local children draw their favorite spots and things to do, helping us to understand the variety of activities from a different perspective

photos by Tara Whelan