PASaPAS, Social Action Projects through Participation, Architecture, and Sustainability.

The crisis scenario represents an opportunity for change in the current societal model. Public institutions must reclaim their social role, becoming an instrument for a proactive society that progresses autonomously and efficiently.

In this regard, the main actors of the project are the neighborhood residents. It is essential to connect the various agents involved in the territory’s transformation process through a network that facilitates a certain flow of exchange. Collective learning, transparency, and transversality allow for a holistic approach to the context, enabling the formulation of strategies with a long-term perspective.

The project is developed in the Les Planes neighborhood, in the municipality of Sant Cugat del Vallès. This neighborhood is located in the geographic center of Collserola Park, 15 minutes by public transport from both the center of Barcelona and the municipality’s own center.

Goals

We identify a dynamic of dependency from the neighborhood towards the administration, based on a high consumption of resources when responding to specific demands that do not consider a transversal view of the existing problems. The main objective is to reverse this situation by promoting the empowerment of residents, in order to detect the real needs of the neighborhood and formulate relevant, useful, viable responses with greater social return.

• To achieve this objective, the following is proposed:

• Encourage models with low consumption and environmental impact

• Shared and collaborative learning

• Transfer and exchange of knowledge

• Promote reciprocal learning between research – teaching – community

• Stimulate active and direct involvement of users in the transformation and improvement of the neighborhood

• Strengthen networking among different agents

• Link education/profession to local needs

• Promote local employment and economy

Set of Projects

Since 2014, several projects have been developed in the neighborhood, addressing topics ranging from resource use and management, energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, accessibility, mobility, facilities, and collective spaces. The REC project (Energy Rehabilitation of Communities), the (e)co Space, and support for the Ruta Ringo Rango project are some examples.