2022 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

16th Edition

Phase 8 of 8

Award Ceremony at the IOPD Conference 06/12/2022 - 10/12/2022

Process phases

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Esplugues de Llobregat: Design of a play area for all ages

Official proposal

03/06/2022 18:48

Esplugues de Llobregat committed in 2019, together with 7 other European cities, to work on the creation of a new innovative paradigm in which the game serves as a tool to respond to urban challenges related to inclusion, cohesion, healthy habits and sustainability.

During all this time, different initiatives have been developed in the city, led by the team behind Playful Esplugues, formed by the Esplugues City Council. associations, educational centers and other institutions in the city linked to the game and with a clearly participatory vocation. One of the actions has been the creation of a play space.

To do this, it has been decided to rehabilitate and transform a protected building in the city, the Castle of the Three Dragons, and transform it into a play space for all ages, with the aim of turning it into the center of a network of play spaces throughout the city.

For its design, a process has been carried out that has included the gaze of more than 300 people of all ages, who have participated both virtually and in person.

Face-to-face and virtual workshops on space design, activities in educational centers and free time education, intergenerational activities, mobile participation points in key spaces and a survey open to citizens have been carried out. The different activities have been developed, for the most part, playing.

The driving team has been accompanied by the Barcelona Provincial Council and an urban social innovation cooperative.

The result of the co-creation process has been the proposal for the transformation of the interior and exterior of the building, the functional program and the bases for the creation of the network of play spaces in the city with an inclusive and intergenerational perspective.

In addition, the process has allowed cross-functional work between different City Council departments and networking with other organizations and institutions in Esplugues to transform the city through play.

To render accounts, a public session was held to present the results and a traveling exhibition that contextualizes the process and includes images of it and the plans of the future play area for all ages.

All the information related to the participatory process can be consulted on the Esplugues Participa platform and on the Playful Esplugues website.

More information:

https://youtu.be/kGL4w5Q3X74

Report of the project in English