Barcelona City Council

Dear Montserrat,

We are beginning a new phase, in which you are assuming the position of Commissioner for Community Life, a completely new position in the City Council.

Community life is one of the main priorities for Barcelona residents. You cannot care for public spaces or strengthen our community without working on community life. This is essential for ensuring the right to an inclusive, plural and tolerant city, where the priority continues to be civic behaviour and public respect.

Inevitable conflicts in community life must be dealt with in a cross-cutting way. Collaboration is needed with all security professionals, as well as other public and private stakeholders. We need a model of civic governance that minimises and prevents these conflicts.

Therefore, as Commissioner for Community Life, you should focus on the following priorities:

• Fostering our commitment to community life and civic behaviour in public spaces. Creating a new 2023-2027 Community Life and Civic Behaviour Plan. Involving all administrations and all groups.
• Promoting the approval of a new civic behaviour by-law which clearly states rights and obligations. This must be the expression of democratic authority and be applied via prevention, education, communication and fines or alternative measures to fines that are beneficial to the community. This new by-law should include the aspects of mobility and cleaning.
• Giving a more important role to civic officers. Providing knowledge about citizen rights, obligations and shared responsibility through communication campaigns.
• Fostering collaboration with other administrations in regard to community life. Working with other neighbouring municipalities to form shared Guàrdia Urbana patrols and being able to act more effectively in neighbouring regions. Calling for the Catalan Government to provide the necessary instruments and resources. Asking Central Government to reinstate rapid-justice mechanisms for acts of vandalism, similar to those in force during the Olympic Games. 

Kind regards,