Barcelona City Council

Dear Lluís,

You are someone who has demonstrated a commitment on the streets, always with the people and the city’s neighbourhoods.

Your area includes one of the main strategic lines of this term of office: the Neighbourhood Plan. For this reason, the Neighbourhood Plan is managed directly by the Mayor’s Office and it is a cross-cutting city project. 

The city’s neighbourhoods are its essence. Barcelona is made up of 73 varied, heterogeneous neighbourhoods, some of which still lack the same opportunities or quality of life that others enjoy. Promoting all the policies and initiatives needed to ensure a decent minimum is a priority, in order to reduce inequalities and correct vulnerabilities. We aim to turn those neighbourhoods into new lands of opportunity. Education and senior citizens are the other areas under your responsibility.

Education is also fundamental for creation and equal opportunities, and it is the driving force behind social cohesion. We are already a great educating city that is progressive on a global scale. Now it is necessary to continue with our commitment to excellent, high-quality and equitable training, throughout all stages of life, in order to ensure opportunities.

Lastly, senior citizens are a great asset for our present and also for our future. The City Council is committed to placing their rights at the centre of our policies and opting for making urban spaces more friendly for them. It is necessary to adapt the city to senior citizens, not the other way round. 

As Councillor for the Neighbourhood Plan, Education and Senior Citizens, you should focus on the following priorities:

• Leading the development of a new Neighbourhood Plan. This is a priority for social cohesion and the creation of opportunities in our city. Working intensely in high-priority neighbourhoods (BAP in Catalan) to deal with their urban and social challenges. Developing specific government measures for the BAP and designing a long-term strategy and planning (2023-2030).
• Working in close coordination with the city’s districts and areas, acting as a springboard. More especially, focusing on the Housing Rehabilitation Programme (REHAB), the comprehensive neighbourhood regeneration strategy, as well as lines of education and employment in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods, together with Barcelona Activa.
• Coordinating our commitment to inclusive, innovative education. Leading the construction of new municipal nursery schools and increasing the number of places, with the aim of making this phase universal. Combating segregation and the digital gap. Introducing levelling-up extracurricular programmes to foster equity. Promoting a plan to counter early school leaving, along with civic behaviour and community life projects. Introducing projects that make it possible to integrate new technologies into the area of education.
• Promoting our commitment to life-long professional training. Consolidating high-quality dual professional training in order to respond to the reality of neighbourhoods and the job market. Ensuring a system capable of improving skills and guaranteeing high-quality jobs. Implementing training in new sectors, such as Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and robotics, and reinforcing STEAM vocations. Promoting life-long training programmes and improving adult education centres as a means for integration.
• Defending Barcelona as a large, progressive city for senior citizens, via five main lines of action. Fostering empowerment, respect and good treatment. Coordinating strategies to counter loneliness. Fostering improved inter-generational relationships. Promoting civic and social participation and an active role for senior citizens. Improving facilities, services and people-friendly, affordable spaces, as well as combating the digital gap.

A city’s cohesion must be social and territorial. I am convinced that this maxim will guide your actions and work.

Kind regards,