FEM DISSABTE A LA PLAÇA D’EN BARÓ!

A feminist square co-designed with children

The Plaça d’en Baró project (located in the area of José Berruezo Silvente Gardens) is an urban redevelopment co-created with children of the municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and, specifically, of Torre Balldovina school, located next to the square.

The plaza has been conceived as a playful space in its entirety, encouraging a free, inclusive and diverse game and generating comfortable living spaces in relation to nature to improve the daily life of the residents.

The transversal collaboration between the different areas of the City Council (Urban planning, Education and Gender equality) and the institutionalization of citizen participation as a key tool of municipal public policies are highlighted.

Participation with children has been approached as a learningprocess for both girls and boys. This experience has enabledstrategies and methodologies for the consolidation of a (co) Educating City model, which recognizes children as active agents in decisions about their daily environments and where the design of public space is an element of vital importance.

The outcome is a diverse, caring and vital square: with a diversity of spaces to cover the needs of the different users, that takes into account the reproductive and caring tasks and that it increases the social cohesion and contributes to improving safety perception in the neighborhood. Different strategies have also been applied to increase vegetation, collect rainwater and reduce the “heat island” effect