Empowering Neighbourhoods: Keeping Barcelona’s Community Spaces Alive
Empowering Neighbourhoods: Keeping Barcelona’s Community Spaces Alive
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Our Challenge
Barcelona’s community spaces—neighbourhood centres, cultural hubs, and sports venues—are vital for local connection. Managed by local organizations for over 15 years, their future is uncertain due to a lack of protective laws, increasing bureaucracy, and gentrification. Rising rents and mass tourism make it harder for these spaces to stay community-driven. Urban planning often fails to adapt, limiting accessibility and evolution to meet local needs. This disconnect between civic management and community-led initiatives weakens their impact on neighbourhood cohesion. We must act to protect these spaces and keep them community-led. How can we rethink public facilities in northern Barcelona to ensure they remain places of connection and safety for residents? Your ideas can help make these spaces more inclusive, accessible, and resilient—before they’re lost for good.
The Team
Teamchers
These are the teamchers you'll work with on the challenge.
Learners
Challenge providers
- Study period
- 8 April – 4 July 2025
- Study format
- Blended
- Application period
- 7 March – 1 April 2025
- Credits
- 3 ECTS
- Hosting university
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Information
Value and progress
Community Engagement and Social Responsibility
Understand the socio-cultural role of community-managed public facilities, comparing Barcelona's regulations with those of other cities to identify best practices and innovative approaches.
ESCO SKILLS
Innovation and Problem-Solving
Develop innovative solutions to community challenges, tackling the disconnect between civic management and local initiatives, as well as the rigidity of legal frameworks that overlook local needs and evolving realities.
ESCO SKILLS
Cultural Competence
Learn to navigate and respect diverse cultural contexts while working towards common goals. Appreciate the cultural significance of community spaces and Barcelona’s cultural heritage.
ESCO SKILLS
Policy and Governance
Gain knowledge about the legal and bureaucratic frameworks that impact community spaces and explore ways to advocate for policies that protect and support them.
ESCO SKILLS
Collaboration and Teamwork
Enhance communication, negotiation and collaboration skills, while working in interdisciplinary and international teams.
ESCO SKILLS
Autonomous Learning
Set own learning goals and determine the resources and methods needed to achieve them.
ESCO SKILLS
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Hosting university
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Challenge provider