Teixint Superilles / Weaving Superblocks (Barcelona, Spain)

Barcelona, one of the most densely populated cities in Europe, is pioneering a new model of urban regeneration: superilles (also known as superblocks). It consists in pacifying streets in entire neighborhoods, creating a more liveable public space,leading towards sustainable behavior change. The objective of the project “Teixint Superilles” - which translates as “weaving superblocks” in Catalan - is to approach superilles from a bottom-up perspective, engaging citizens throughout the process. When citizens have the opportunity to participate in placemaking activities, they gain not only greater awareness of their environment, but also a sense of agency over the quality of their city.

Challenge addressed

Sustainable alternatives for hardscapes as urban spaces, naturalisation of degraded public areas, green areas, biodiversity, green and blue infrastructures, and urban furniture as assets promoting active mobility, improving citizen well-being, and mitigating heat island effects.

Solution proposed, focus area

Through a series of workshops, Aquí has been experimenting with diverse methodologies for civic participation while confronting a wide range of participants with topics of gender, functional diversity, cross-generational inclusivity, and sustainability. Teixint Superilles activities took place in three different environments, thus reaching a wide range of participants: a public park, an arts and sustainability festival and a secondary school. The target group of these activities were neighbors of superilles and end users of these spaces: local businesses or municipal workers, visitors, people in transit. To increase representation from younger citizens, aquí engaged students from a local school through a co-creation process to redesign their local plaza.

Target Groups

The target group of the activities were neighbors of superilles and end users of these spaces

Main activities / milestones

• Promoting conversation about the superilla model and dialogue among citizens and users, fostering community and building awareness

• Cultivating a sense of agency and expertise in regard to the urban space for endusers and citizens

• Enhancing civic engagement regarding urban policy, urban design and sustainable mobility

• Communicating about the superilla model of urban regeneration, and in particular the superilla project in Hostafrancs and contributing to an informed population

• Facilitating dialogue regarding sustainable mobility, car-ownership, public transport and street design as well as the causes and consequences of climate change
  
  

Partnership

Aquí Design

Outcomes

Weaving Superilles activities took place in three different environments, thus reaching a wide range of participants: a public park, an arts and sustainability festival and a secondary school. Aquí has been experimenting successfully with diverse methodologies for civic participation while confronting a wide range of participants with topics of gender, functional diversity, cross-generational inclusivity, and sustainability and finally generating a local impact on the neighbourhood and cultivate co-responsibility through participatory urban design. When citizens have the opportunity to participate in placemaking activities, they gain not only greater awareness of their environment, but also a sense of agency over the quality of their city.

The first two workshops informed citizens on the concepts of superilles, the Decidim public participatory process, and the municipality’s plans for urban regeneration. They created a space of exchange where neighbors could share their experiences of the superilla, their perspectives on recent and future changes, and sustainability related initiatives. Watch our video about the Inform & Exchange workshop.

The series of workshops that were organized with Institut Escola ARTS fostered a deeper engagement of the students, from an urban diagnostic to ideation and co-creation. After identifying and prioritizing challenges together, the students designed concept ideas to address these challenges and collaborated to propose a collective vision in line with the superilla model. The main impact of the project for Barcelona City is the proposed collective vision on the redesign of Joan Corrades Plaza to the City Council, which was created through the urban diagnostic exercise with a deeper engagement of the students.

For more information visit Aquí website or Check out this Aquí Action video