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

approved EU/EPOS Intensive Programme: workshop Barcelona January 27nd – February 6th 2014
@Sala Conservas,  Carrer Sant Pau 58, Baixos – Barcelona (http://conservas.tk)

Starting on Monday January 27nd, during ten full days (from 10AM to 6PM), four teams of students will explore and study the Raval neighbourhood in Barcelona: 24 international participants and 14 professors will join forces and work within the framework of “Streetscape Territories, Space of Inclusion”. As part of the workshop, public lectures, round tables and presentations are organised, check this blog for announcements and join us!

Streetscape Territories: is, can or should Raval be a neighbourhood of spaces of inclusion?
After observation and understanding the multiple dynamics of this neighbourhood, can you make any proposals, a description of best-case scenarios for the future of Raval?

The site.
Can you understand the urban transformation processes that defined the neighbourhood?
Can you position these transformations in a historical as well as in a contemporary context?
Can you discuss and reflect upon these transformation processes as part of political, social and cultural movements that took place?
Can you detect and describe the different stakeholders or “agents” that play an important role in the future of this neighbourhood? Which plans do they have for this neighbourhood?

On site.
Were you able to talk or interview people in the neighbourhood? Were you able to “connect” with them, what were the main topics you discussed and how did you use their input?
Can you describe any “routines” in the way people use the streetscapes? Can you describe and evaluate the qualities of the existing streetscapes in this neighbourhood? Do you see any specific challenges related to the streetscapes?
What did you do to “inhabit” the neighbourhood and how does it relate to your project?
How would you describe and evaluate the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood?

A territorial site.
Where did you detect “spaces of overlap” or “spaces of integration” in the present streetscapes? Where did you detect “sequential gaps” or “spaces of separation” or buffer areas? How did you detect them? What was your method of observation? Did you discuss this topic with neighbours or local actors?
Which are the different “collective levels” in the streetscapes? Which spaces seem to be used in a more collective way (people share space)? Which are the urban spaces that have access restriction and which ones have not? Can you detect and describe spaces of high exposure or hidden territories? Which spaces are transit spaces and which ones are of more static use? Which spaces were delimited explicitly and which ones only implied a certain use or appropriation? Which spaces feel “controlled” and which ones do not?
Can you make a map of the property structure (private or public properties) in this neighbourhood and evaluate this?

The big picture.
What do you think about prostitution in this neighbourhood? Can this be part of the contemporary city?
What is your position towards the policy of “touristifying” and “cleaning up” of the Raval neighbourhood?
Can you evaluate the gentrification processes and position yourself towards this?
What is your attitude towards increasing tendency to prescribe and prohibit certain activities or ways of appropriating urban space? What do the neighbours think?
How do you think insecurity and the perception of insecurity relate to each other in this neighbourhood?
What is the role of this neighbourhood in Barcelona as a bigger Mediterranean metropolis?

Team:

Belgium: KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture, campus Sint-Lucas Ghent/Brussels
(organising partner, coord. Kris Scheerlinck, Gideon Boie, Ferran Massip and Pedro Dachs)
Netherlands: Technical University Delft, OTB
(partner, resp. Leeke Reinders and Hans Teerds)
Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology
(partner, resp. Ana Betancour and Carl-Johan Vesterlund)
Spain: Polytechnical University of Catalunya, ETSAB Barcelona
(hosting partner, resp. Carles Crosas, Jorge Perea and Josep Maria Solé)
Slovak Republic: Technical University of Bratislava
(partner, resp. Maria Topolcanska)
France: ENSAM Montpellier
(partner, resp. David Hamerman and Guillaume Girod)