Study for the Incorporation of the gender perspective in the implementation and design of municipal facilities in Barcelona


Study for the Incorporation of the gender perspective in the implementation and design of municipal facilities in Barcelona

Public space and municipal facilities – which are part of this space of public use – are not gender-neutral. There is a gender gap in the use of municipal services and facilities. In other words, women and men experience the city and make differential use of municipal services and facilities, depending on traditional roles and gender inequalities that derive from them and condition their daily lives.

This study aims to incorporate a gender perspective in the design, implementation, and management of facilities in the city of Barcelona. Specifically, the study seeks to help reverse the gender gap in the use of municipal services and facilities and contribute to (re)thinking these spaces to make them more inclusive and egalitarian.

In this sense, the following are offered:

  • Recommendations to incorporate a gender perspective and carry out a feminist transformation of existing municipal facilities.
  • Recommendations to incorporate a gender perspective in newly constructed municipal facilities.
  • Specific recommendations for a feminist transformation of municipal restrooms, changing rooms, and nurseries.

With this in mind, seven types of municipal facilities are analyzed:

  • Sports facilities
  • Youth facilities
  • Children’s facilities
  • Facilities for the elderly
  • Social care and inclusion facilities
  • Commercial facilities
  • Cultural facilities, including libraries

For each type of facility, particular elements, both interior and exterior, are studied that potentially may generate differential use by gender or different user experiences. The objective is to identify possible obstacles and discriminations and propose alternatives to reverse them from a gender perspective.

Place

Barcelona

[1,620,343 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Urban Strategies

Urban pedagogy

Duration

24 months [2019-2021]

Promoter

Barcelona City Council’s

Department of Gender

Services and Times Policies

 

Team

*estel (Alba Domínguez Ferrer,

Konstantina Chrysostomou,

Marc Deu Ferrer, Arnau Boix i

Pla)

Ana Paricio

 

Collaborators

Municipal agents (Departament

de Transversalitat de Gènere,

Departament de Prospectiva –

Model Urbà – d’Ecologia Urbana,

Institut Municipal de Persones

amb Discapacitat, Departament

d’Atenció Social a la Família i la

Infància, Departament de

Joventut, Coordinació de l’Espai

Jove Garcilaso, Institut

Municipal Barcelona Esports –

Direcció de Serveis

d’Instal·lacions i Obres, Punt

d’Informació i Atenció a les

Dones, Institut de Cultura de

Barcelona, Direcció de Cultura de

Proximitat)

Study

Read the full study at bcnroc

 

Press

Read more about the project

at the www.barcelona.cat 

Naves do Metrosidero


Naves do Metrosidero

Naves do Metrosidero is a recently renovated municipal facility of A Coruña City Council. The intention of the Council of Participation and Democratic Innovation was to turn it into a resource for young people from all over the city, and to decide in a participative way, its uses and management. Thus, the cooperative process for the redaction of the Extended Project of Use and Management for the Naves do Metrosidero.

The basis for its redaction was a participatory process consisted of 8 open meetings for all citizens (particularly youngsters) and to which a committed representation of municipal officials was added. Likewise, the document includes the perspective of 36 educational centers of the city, from working sessions with the teaching staff and direct contributions from students. 

The conclusions of the work stated that the new Naves do Metrosidero should be a meeting place for A Coruña youth. A place of reference where young people can simply be, spend time, and carry out activities that actually do not have a place enabled or legitimized in the street, in the neighborhood, or in the city. In order for this to happen, youngsters, have the vocation (but not the obligation) of transforming these activities into projects individuals, collective’s or community’s, which can be deployed even beyond the premises of the Naves. 

Depending on the links that are created between the users and their “way of life”, the equipment will have a different way of working. Broadly speaking, each of the Naves is characterized according to its “state of being”: Naves 2, the solid-state (co-management spaces); Naves 3, the liquid state (programmable spaces, with scheduled activities); and Naves 4, the gaseous state (spaces for free use, without programming).

Place

A Coruña

[244,850 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Urban Strategies

Citizen cooperation

Duratio

10 months [2018]

Promoter

Municipality of A Coruña,

Department of Participation and

Democratic Innovation

 

Team

*estel (Arnau Boix, Konstantina

Chrysostomou, Alba Domínguez)

 

MonoD estudio, Verónica

Méndez 

 

Collaborators

Technical team of the Concello da

Coruña

People and entities attending 

Participatory

Meetings Teaching staff and

students participating in

Xuntanzas Escolares

Presentation

Check the presentation at Prezi

Study

Read the full at report

Press

Read more about the project at

Ayuntamiento de A Coruña

The empty spaces of La Llacuna


The empty spaces of La Llacuna

Given the existence of a series of empty premises in the municipality of La Llacuna, and with the desire to activate these resources, this project is proposed as a strategic document for municipal revitalization through temporarily activating these premises and other disused spaces; such as vacant lots or abandoned buildings. Specifically, we worked with the intention that the proposed temporary uses could become permanent.

The work process was structured around the following work axes: urban and territorial, social, economic, use, and legal. This multisectional approach made it possible to propose comprehensive reactivation strategies, so that, based on the network of spaces for collective use in the municipality, the “dormant” community capacities and opportunities of La Llacuna could be successfully activated.

Parallel to the analysis by axes, on the one hand, the cooperative carried out the mapping and inventory of empty premises and other disused spaces in La Llacuna. And on the other hand, the list of activities covered the needs detected in the municipality. In this way, it was possible to evaluate the best activation opportunities and in which locations it was convenient to test them.

The cooperative created numerous activities for the project, and they include: (1) the proposals to create affordable housing for people with economic difficulties; (2) the creation of an Environmental Resources Center that would incorporate both waste management and pedagogy on recycling and information on the natural spaces of the territory; (3) the qualification of areas for motorhomes; and (4) the promotion of a cultural festival linked to the history of La Llacuna or the facilitation of a progressive facility for young people.

The document proposes strategies to implement these activities in specific empty spaces of the municipality, considering their location, size, and state of conservation. It is not an executive or final project but rather a work tool for the political team and technicians of La Llacuna and its inhabitants. Based on the detailed files of each space analyzed and each proposed activity, and following recommendations and strategic criteria, the agents of the territory choose to launch the most convenient initiatives for everyone.

Place

La Llacuna 

[917 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Urban strategies

Duration

10 months [2021]

Promoter

Provincial Deputation of

Barcelona

Municipality of La Llacuna

 

Team

*estel (Arnau Boix i Pla,

Konstantina Chrysostomou,

Marc Deu Ferrer, Alba

Domínguez Ferrer)

 

Ara Muñío 

Enric Burgstaller

Pere Mogas

Raimon Soler

Mireia Peris

 

Collaborators

Technical and political team

from the City Council

Placemaking 4 Inclusion: Comparative National Report

Placemaking 4 Inclusion: Comparative National Report

Welcome to Placemaking 4 Inclusion (PM4I), a dynamic initiative funded by the European Union. This extract, which captures the theory by transforming it into practice, is from the Comparative National Report, weaving insights from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Norway. PM4I empowers youth and organizations, using placemaking to foster social inclusion and shape inclusive urban environments through collaborative co-creation. Explore key chapters on Methodology, Placemaking, Youth Social Inclusion, Community Empowerment, and Competences. Dive into this treasure trove of insights, sparking positive change. Join us on this journey, embrace placemaking principles, and be part of reshaping societies for the better.

You can read the full report here: http://placemaking.4learning.eu/outputs/

Resource related to

Urban strategies

Citizen cooperation

Urban pedagogy

 

Editorial team

*estel (Konstantina

Chrysostomou , Arnau Boix i

Pla, Nedjine Dorcely)

 

Luisa Tuttolomondo (Sguardi

Urbani), Anna Stamouli

(AKNOW), Ammalia

Podlaszewska (CGE), Bram

Dewolfs (Urban Foxes),

Annabel Mempel

(Nabolagshager), Rita

Marques (YEU)

 

They have collaborated

Youngsters, youth workers,

youth organizations and local

authorities from Germany,

Belgium, Italy, Norway, Spain

and Greece

More Information

Publication date

04/12/2023

DiverCity, Youth for Gender Equal Cities

DiverCity: Youth for Gender Equal Cities

“DiverCity: Youth for Gender Equal Cities” is a pioneering guidebook that champions inclusive urban planning through cooperative city-making and a robust gender perspective. It challenges conventional urban development paradigms by placing community engagement, social inclusion, and participatory decision-making at its core. Across Spain, Greece, Germany, and Belgium, the guidebook showcases initiatives where youth play pivotal roles in shaping urban policies and projects, amplifying their voices and contributions.

Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach, “DiverCity” integrates insights from sociology, ecology, economics, and more to reimagine cities as dynamic, adaptive ecosystems shaped by diverse social, economic, and environmental factors. It underscores the importance of cooperation among stakeholders—ranging from grassroots movements to civic networks—to democratize urban planning and foster inclusive, resilient urban environments.

A central theme of the guidebook is gender mainstreaming in urban and rural planning. It critiques traditional urban designs shaped by male perspectives, addressing how these have perpetuated safety concerns and unequal access to public resources for women and marginalized groups. By advocating for gender-sensitive policies and inclusive decision-making processes, “DiverCity” aims to dismantle existing power dynamics and promote gender equality in city development.

Moreover, “DiverCity” explores intersectionality, recognizing how gender intersects with age, ability, ethnicity, and socio-economic status to influence urban experiences. It offers practical tools and case studies to empower planners, policymakers, and community leaders to create cities that are not only more inclusive and equitable but also resilient and responsive to the diverse needs and aspirations of all residents. Ultimately, the guidebook serves as a roadmap for building cities that prioritize social justice, sustainability, and the well-being of future generations.

This guidebook is part of the Erasmus+ KA210-YOU – Small-scale partnerships in youth.

 

Resource related to

Urban strategies

Citizen cooperation

Design of public space

Urban Pedagogy

 

Editorial team

*estel (Konstantina

Chrysostomou , Alba Domínguez

Ferrer), Eva Grigoriadou

(Urbana), Ioulia Leventopoulou

(Urbana), Pinelopi Alexiou

(Urbana), Laura Fernandez Moya

(Urban Foxes), Bram Dewolfs

(Urban Foxes), Carla Molteni

(CGE)  Ammalia Podlaszewska

(CGE)

 

They have collaborated

Youngsters, youth workers, youth

organizations and local

authorities from Spain, Greece,

Germany, Belgium

More Information

Publication date

17/06/2024

Gender perspective and participation consultancy in the East-West pedestrian routes project of Cabanyal

Gender perspective and participation consultancy in the East-West pedestrian routes project of Cabanyal

Gender urban planning places everyday life at the center and provides an inclusive vision to address the needs of the neighborhood’s residents. The goal is for the proposal to resolve the current urban inequalities and meet the needs of men and women equally, without discrimination based on gender or any other factors such as economic, origin, age, functional diversity, etc. The proposed urban transformation aims to create new spaces that will serve as the physical support for future social uses. Therefore, it is essential to analyze and design them while considering the actions people perform in their daily lives and embracing their diversity.

In this regard, several actions have been taken to incorporate this perspective into the project:

  • Direct and ongoing guidance to the project team in decision-making.
  • Analysis of gender-related documents in the territory provided by the administration or identified by the team.
  • Group interviews: To present and discuss the gender-focused project approach and criteria, review previously identified relevant documents, and include others that the participants deem important.

The guidance includes the main conclusions derived from the gender analysis affecting the project’s scope, and it outlines the project’s work lines and strategies that address the integration of the gender perspective.

Place

Valencia

[1.923.000 inhabitants]

Scale

Neighborhood

Type of project

Citizen cooperation

Public space design

Duration

3 months [2022]

Promoter

Municipality of Valencia

EDUSI Cabanyal – Canyamelar

– Cabo de Francia

European Regional

Development Fund

 

Team

*estel (Alba Domínguez

Ferrer, Arnau Boix Pla,

Konstantina Chrysostomou,

Marc Deu Ferrer)

PEÑIN ARQUITECTOS, SLP

 

Collaborators

Cabanyal Neighborhood

Neighborhood Union

Feminist Assembly

Brúfol Association

Cabanyal-Canyamelar

Neighborhood Association

From the Courtyard to the

Neighborhood

Santiago Apostol School

Participatory Processes for Teenage and Youth Citizens of Barcelona


Participatory Processes for Teenage and Youth Citizens of Barcelona

The Participatory Process of the Adolescent Citizenship of Barcelona, during two consecutive academic years, offers teenagers and educational centers a project where they can approach the participatory culture of their municipality. They can express what worries or bothers them about the city and district where they live, and propose actions that, from their point of view, would improve coexistence.

 

The City Council supports this project in order to expand communication channels towards this group, through which they can listen, explain the actions that are already taking place in the city and that respond to some of their concerns, and receive first-hand the needs and proposals that this group considers, which are often forgotten in the planning of cities and neighborhoods.

Thus, a space is offered where adolescent citizens can exchange points of view and concerns about their city and the district where they live, finding common ground and stimulating teamwork to build a set of proposals that improve their experience as adolescents in Barcelona or the respective district.

 

This process has been carried out through high schools, combining face-to-face sessions in the schools themselves or municipal spaces, and online sessions that offered greater flexibility in attendance and participation.

 

As an added value, throughout the process, the technical and political team works to listen to the work done by the adolescents, providing them with feedback: informing them of existing initiatives or explaining why they would not be viable, as well as committing to making some of the proposals presented a reality.

 

Some of the results that have been achieved with this process, in its two editions, include improving communication between the City Council (both at the city and district level) and adolescent citizens, seeking the best channel through which to convey the improvements that they already promote, as well as informing participants of existing formal spaces (assemblies, etc.) in which they could already participate.

 

In this line, the way has also been opened for political and technical representatives of the district to be closer to the reality of secondary schools, thus improving the resolution of specific needs or collaborations.

 

Some improvements have also been proposed and executed in the city, such as the installation of sports practice elements in open courtyards that respond to the current needs of the participants, or the creation of a map of existing public sports facilities in the district, with the location and type of resources available.

 

In conclusion, the adolescent citizenship involved in the process, in both editions, valued the experience very positively, as it allowed them to make political figures a little more real and to understand first-hand how they could participate in the political and social life of their city and district.

Place

Barcelona 

[1,620,343 inhabitants]

Escala

Municipal

Type of project

Citizen cooperation

Duration

1st edition (2020-2021)

2nd edition (curs 2021-2022)

Impulsores

Municipality of Barcelona,

Institut Municipal d’Educació

de Barcelona and Direcció de

Serveis de Democràcia Activa

 

Team

*estel (Arnau Boix i Pla, Oriol

Serra Ureta, Roser García

Piqué, Konstantina

Chrysostomou, Alba

Dominguez Ferrer, Marc Deu i

Ferrer)

 

Descoberta

Espai Coneix

Nadal Villena

 

Collaborators

Adolescent and teenage

citizens and educators linked

to the Escola Sant Felip Neri,

Escola Pia Nostra Senyora,

Escolàpies Llúria, Institut

XXVena Olimpíada, Escola

Joan Pelegrí, Escola Paideia,

Institut Les Corts, Institut

Santa Teresa de Lisieux,

Institut Menéndez i Pelayo,

Escola Pia Balmes, Institut

Gravi, Institut Vila de Gràcia,

Escola Vida Montserrat,

Escola Regina Carmeli,

Escola Especial Mare de Déu

de Montserrat, Escola Virolai,

Institut Escola Trinitat Nova,

Institut Escola El Til·ler,

Institut Príncep de Viana,

Escola Gavina, Escola FEDAC

Sant Andreu, Institut Infanta

Isabel d’Aragó i Institut Barri

Besòs.

Presentation

Watch the presentation at

YouTube

 

Press

Read more about the project

at instagram and the

plataform decidim.barcelona

Participatory Process of the Barcelona Youth Plan 2023-2030


Participatory Process of the Barcelona Youth Plan 2023-2030

The debate on issues related to policies for and with young people is becoming a crucial element in designing actions and measures that improve the lives of this group. The drafting of the Barcelona Youth Plan 2023-2030, and consequently the strategic lines of policies for and with young people in the city, is one of those plans that requires balancing needs and proposals with the young people of the city, as well as with the professionals who work with them.

The participatory process of this Youth Plan has facilitated and promoted highly relevant debates within the political life of the youth, with a broad, diverse, and multi-perspective level of involvement from citizens and professionals. The process included five in-person thematic sessions (Leisure and Culture, Sports, Public Space, Digital Leisure, and Associationalism and Participation); one general digital session to facilitate the participation of those who could not attend the thematic meetings in person; and one technical workshop with professionals working in the youth sector in the city.

The results of the participatory process have had a direct and highly significant impact on the drafting of this Youth Plan.

Place

Barcelona

[1,620,343 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Citizen Cooperation

Duration

3 months [2022]

Promoter

Barcelona City Council

 

Team

*estel (Arnau Boix i Pla,

Konstantina Chrysostomou,

Marc Deu Ferrer,

Alba Domínguez Ferrer)

Espai Coneix

monoDestudio

 

Collaborators

Youth of Barcelona

Professionals and entities related

to youth policies in Barcelona

Study

Read the Youth and Adolescence

Plan 2023-2030

 

Check the participatory process

on the decidim.barcelona platform

 

Press

Read more about the project on

the Barcelona City Council website

Exhibition: 50 Years of Women’s Football in Manresa. The Women’s Struggle in the World of Sports

Exhibition: 50 Years of Women's Football in Manresa.
The Women's Struggle in the World of Sports

“Sports have historically been predominantly practiced by men. Despite being more than half of the world’s population, women have had to earn the right to participate in sports. In Manresa, fifty years ago, a group of girls decided to play football when it was still considered a men’s sport, initially to raise some money for their end-of-year trip, and later as part of a team: SOFFMIC, which competed in the I Women’s Football Championship of Catalonia, Pernod Cup. Taking advantage of this anniversary, the exhibition traces the history of women’s sports in Manresa from the 1970s to the present…”

This is the introduction that opens the exhibition, which goes beyond commemorating fifty years of women’s football in Manresa. It seeks to showcase many pioneering Manresean women in various sports to the present day and also challenges the exhibition’s visitors to consider whether the progress made in recent years is enough to achieve gender equality in the world of sports.

This project has designed the exhibition layout and has conceptualized all the materials collected by the Women’s Group FF 1970-1971 to create a temporary exhibition with the goal of visibility, raising awareness, and, above all, prompting the audience to reflect. The ultimate intention is for the visitor to be more than just a passive observer but an active participant in the exhibition, using mechanisms of participation and interaction with the materials used.

Place

Manresa 

[77.452 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Urban pedagogy

Duration

6 months [2021-2022]

Promoter

Women’s Group FF 1970-1971

(Àngels Arrufat Dalmau,

Mercè Maeso Delgado, Cloti

Morales Coca, Núria Zueras

Avellana)

 

Municipality of Manresa

 

Team

*estel (Alba Domínguez Ferrer)

Muntant Arquitectura  (Clara

Casas Arrufat)

 

Collaborators

Women’s Group FF 1970-1971,

SIAD, El Casino Library,

Women’s and LGTB+ Affairs

Council, Sports Council, Culture

Council, Manresa Comarcal

Archive, Porquet Prat Signs,

REMSA, Club Atlético Manresa,

Egiba Gymnastics Club, Manresa

Swimming Club, Manresa Tennis

Club, Gimnàstic Manresa,

Manresa Sports Center, Catalan

Football Federation, SQUADRA,

Montserrat Margarit Costa,

Margarita Martínez Figueras,

Jordi Serra Morales, Foto-Art,

Serra Morales Family. Thanks to

all individuals for providing

photos and information, and to

the media that allowed us to use

the news.

Press

Read more about the project at:

regio7

naciodigital 

manresadiari

fcf.cat

Participation process associated with the Punctual Modification of the PGO of Can Coll in Torrelles de Llobregat

Participation process associated with the Punctual Modification of the PGO of Can Coll in Torrelles de Llobregat

The planning process is complex and often slower than we would like. This is the case of the Can Coll sector, an area of ​​mainly residential development on the edge of Torrelles de Llobregat and in contact with Non-Developable Land. This is an environment that is not finished running for various reasons.

In 2019, the Metropolitan Area of ​​Barcelona (AMB) in collaboration with Torrelles de Llobregat City Council began drafting the Modification of the General Planning Plan (MPGO) in order to find a solution that consolidates this area and allow this process to be closed, minimizing the environmental impact and the inconvenience to the residents of the town.

It is in this context that this participatory process has been carried out, with the aim that this new MPGO allows responding to the needs of all those affected, both those who currently live in the area and those of the rest of the town.

One of the strong points of the project has been to clarify the information and make it reach as many people as possible, thus generating a space for debate from which to guarantee the possibility of getting involved and thus participating in the decision-making process. To this end, various open actions (informative and deliberative), sectoral meetings, online participation channels or an exhibition at the Ateneu Torrellenc, among others, have been held.

Place

Torrelles de Llobregat

[6.186 inhabitants]

Scale

Municipal

Type of project

Citizen cooperation

Duration

4 months [2021]

Promoter

Municipality of Torrelles de

Llobregat

 

Team

*estel (Marc Deu Ferrer,

Konstantina Chrysostomou,

Alba Domínguez Ferrer,

Arnau Boix i Pla)

 

Collaborators

Neighbors of Torrelles de

Llobregat