Streetscape Territories: Spaces of Inclusion.
Public Space as a tool for Social Cohesion and Diversity: a Multiple Reading of the Raval Neighbourhood, Barcelona, Spain.

Workshop: January 26st-February 7nd 2014

EU Lifelong Learning Programme: Intensive Programme, financed by the European Union:

Belgium: KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture/LUCA School of Arts, campus Sint-Lucas Ghent/Brussels
(organising partner, coord. Kris Scheerlinck, Streetscape Territories Research Project)
Netherlands: Technical University Delft, OTB
(partner, resp. Leeke Reinders)
Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology
(partner, resp. Saddek Rehal, Carl-Johan Versterlund, Ana Betancour)
Spain: Polytechnical University of Catalunya, ETSAB Barcelona
(hosting partner, resp. Carles Crosas, Jorge Perea)
Slovak Republic: Technical University of Bratislava
(partner, resp. Maria Topolcanska)
France: ENSAM Montpellier
(partner, resp. David Hamerman, Marjan Sansen)

Streetscape Territories: Spaces of Inclusion
Public Space as a tool for Social Cohesion and Diversity: a Multiple Reading of the Raval Neighbourhood, Barcelona, Spain.

This International design workshop is based on a multiple approach to a particular “challenged” public space, trying to deal with its needed collective use in contemporary society. The outcomes and discussions about possible ways of appropriating space in a tolerant and plural way, will add value to the understanding of changing phenomena of the use of public space, that is segregated and separated in an increasing way. The workshop is based on an existing international research project, called Streetscape Territories, dealing with the relationship between public and private use of space.

The objectives of this Intensive Programme are
1. to introduce the participants to a variety of current social issues regarding the use of public space and its needed cultural diversity
2. to introduce the participants with an interdisciplinary way of working and develop an anthropological understanding and methodology to design Public Spaces of Social Cohesion and Diversity
3. to discuss issues of cultural gentrification in European cities as a result of increasing immigration processes and their implications for the use of public space
4. to develop knowledge and expertise on an international level about Streetscape Territories: the accessibility and permeability of public space as a guarantee for social inclusion

The target group is a group of European Master students of (Interior) Architecture and Urban Design Programmes, that will be put in contact with an interdisciplinary team of professionals and academic experts in the field of Architecture and Design, Urbanism and Anthropology.

The main activities of this Intensive Program will be input lectures and keynote lectures, site visits and interviews, design seminars, desk crit sessions, presentations and feedback sessions, all grouped under the format of an International Workshop, organised in Barcelona, hometown of one of the participating partners.

Raval

This Intensive Programme builds upon the existing case study as part of the Streetscape Territories research project: the Raval neighbourhood in Barcelona, focusing on the public spaces including the Plaça dels Àngels, in the historical part of the city. (see annex: graphical representation of the site) The chosen site used to be a rather poor and problematic marginal neighbourhood in Barcelona that, after the (post)Olympic interventions in the `80s and `90s, changed drastically and became gentrified. After a series of urban interventions, like the building of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) and the opening of the frontal plaza, together with the Centre of Culture of Barcelona (CCCB) and the installing of the Development for Decorative Arts centre (FAD), a creative class invaded the area, which resulted in higher prices of living. Besides the social aspects (most original inhabitants could no more afford to live there and were partly substituted by a hipster community), these interventions also introduced a new culture in this originally popular working class neighbourhood: more expensive leisure and commercial activities took over. It became a neighbourhood where it is “cool to hang out”, go for drinks or be part of mass events (Sonar music festival, open air dance festivals etc.) Simultaneously, tourism became part of the daily scene, not only because of the museums but also because of the attractiveness of the streets and public spaces and related activities. At the same time, local inhabitants, as well as a growing immigrant population (mostly Filipine, Marocan and South-American inhabitants) and organisations representing them, ended in a different appropriation of space, in some cases leading to local conflicts between different users. Lately, with a slower local economy, the dynamics seem to change again: more homeless people appropriate the plazas, while the space is often used to demonstrate, parallel to a still increasing tourism-based occupation of public space.
These new dynamics are to be studied and tested in this International Workshop, by actively engaging with the neighbourhood and its social networks. This will be achieved by stimulating all participants to “inhabit” the neighbourhood during the entire workshop (they will be accommodated in the neighbourhood, do grocery shopping in the local shops or markets, cook together with other participants or people working in the area, like the CCCB, FAD etc). All participants will be introduced to some local actors of the institutions and organisations present in the area (in which they can involve by visits and interviews). A multiple research and design approach to this specific case, will allow to situate this particular case within a broader European phenomenon of how to (re)use public spaces that embrace “Social Inclusion and Diversity”.

Multi-layer approach

The proposed Intensive Programme, carried out as an international workshop, organised in Barcelona (the hometown of one of the partner institutions), uses a multi-layer approach to address a recent phenomenon of claiming pubic space in a changing European social and cultural context. This multiple approach will be developed by a series of input lectures and keynote lectures, site visits and interviews, design seminars and desk crit sessions that are all run by a highly qualified teaching staff that each act from within their expertise.  In other words, each participating institution has a specific role, based on their academic and professional expertise, to guide the students towards a successful project and a critical and coherent proposal.

Anthropological context.
(input, follow-up and academic expertise by Technical University Delft, OTB)

Territorial context.
(input, follow-up and academic expertise by LUCA School of Arts, Sint-Lucas School of Architecture, Assoc. Faculty of Architecture, KULeuven, Brussels)

Research on the International multi-cultural context.
(input, follow-up and academic expertise by ENSAM Montpellier and Chalmers University of Technology)

Urban context.
(input, follow-up and academic expertise by UPC/ETSAB Barcelona)

Intervention.
(input, follow-up and academic expertise by Technical University of Bratislava)

Work Programme

day -1: Jan 26th 2014
arrival day @ Barcelona for all participants

WORKSHOP: day 1: Jan 27th  2014 – day 10: Feb 6th 2014 (Sunday of the weekend in between is a rest day)

day 10+: Feb 7th 2014
departing day from Barcelona for all participants

all activities are organised in English, as the official language of the IP
all activities happen in team work: 6 teams will be formed, each having 6 participants of the partner institutions
all produced material will be daily uploaded on a team blog (linked with web sites of all parter institutions)
a permanent exposition will be made in the studio space, for participants as well as for third parties to engage
final outcomes, reflections and conclusions will be included in the project notebook publication (500ex)

Student selection for Faculty of Architecture, campus Sint-Lucas Ghent/Brussels

Four students of the Faculty of Architecture can be selected to participate in this workshop (20 other students in the other participating countries will be selected)

-eligibility: (International) Master students of (Interior) Architecture, Urban Design/Spatial Planning Programs of Faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven
-student participants will be present during whole Intensive Programme workshop (special arrangements for exams will be made if necessary), obligatory stay for 13 days!
-student participants have a strong interest in the main theme of the workshop and the Streetscape Territories framework

-application for call before November 17th via email to kris.scheerlinck@streetscapeterritories.com
-application should include a cv (one page, including portrait picture), a portfolio sample (one A4 page) and a motivation letter (one A4 page), all sent as ONE PDF file, max 1MB
-selection will be made and communicated before end of November 2013
-participation conditions:
*selected students receive reimbursement of 75% of the travel costs, limited to 150EUR pp
*selected students receive 260EUR subsistence cost pp (part of it will be used to pay for accommodation and general costs)
*selected students receive 50EUR of pocket money
*all lunches, one international dinner and a closing drink are paid by the organisation
*selected students make own travel and accommodation arrangements (can be coordinated for the Belgian team if wanted, eg renting one apartment for the 4 students)

*participating students obtain 3 ECTS credits for participation