Uses of Time

Barcelona City Council is part of the Local and Regional Governments Time Network, which names a city or region each year to be the World Capital of Time Policies. Between March 2022 and March 2023, Barcelona was named the first World Capital of Time Policies. The objectives of this world capital scheme are as follows:
1) Raise awareness among citizens through sensitisation and communication campaigns aimed at citizens, business and other entities in order to highlight the importance of time and time policies for well-being;

2) promote the visibility and sustainability of the Network of Local and Regional Governments for Time Policies and become the network's ambassador in various forums around the world;

3) organise the international event and meeting of the network held in Barcelona in October 2022 and actively participate in it; take part in the Regional Week of Time Uses in Latin America and organise the first conference on time policies with different Spanish cities; and 4) promote and consolidate innovative time policies at the Barcelona City Council (such as Concilia, Vila Veïna, ‘Time for You,’ etc.) and drive the Action Plan of the Barcelona Declaration on Time Policies (2022-2023).

• Presentation of the capital city. The capital city presentation event took place on 5 April 2022.
• ‘The Value of Your Time’ communication campaign. Campaign launched on 1 October and aimed at all city residents to raise awareness of the importance and value of their time, with specific advice for organising time more healthily, equally, efficiently and sustainably. 
• New website. New Time Agreement website that redesigns existing content and puts forward a new, more attractive format with up-to-date information (time policies implemented by Barcelona City Council, news, etc.). 
• Publication of the time and sustainability dossier. Presentation of the dossier during Time Use Week (TUW) and publication in the LabTemps time lab.
• Promotion of key time policies (details of which can be found in the 2022 Public Policies Report published by Barcelona City Council), such as the Concilia, Vila Veïna and Carer’s Card projects, among others. 
• Exchange event with Spanish cities. Virtual conference held as a space for exchange regarding time policies with other towns and cities in Spain: Beasain, Bilbao, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Vilarreal and Vilanova i la Geltrú. This first state-wide exchange constituted an opportunity to share experiences and best practices with other towns and cities in Spain. (1 June)
• Children’s workshop: ‘Barcelona, the temple of time’. These workshops, aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years, seek to promote reflection on uses of time during childhood, get to know children’s interests when it comes to their free time and encourage healthier, more equal and more sustainable uses of time by getting centres, facilities and families involved. 
• Talks on health and sleep. This talk – given by Carla Estivill, director of the Fundación Estivill Sueño – will look at the effect of how we organise our day-to-day activities on rest and sleep, and therefore on our health. The talk will set out what are considered healthy time habits and provide practical tools for improving them. The various sessions across the districts will take place in the first quarter of 2023.
• ‘Health and sport’ talk. This talk, given by Dr María Fernanda Zerón Rugerio as part of the sports teachers’ training conference organised by the Barcelona Institute of Sports, aimed to raise awareness among Barcelona’s physical education teachers of the importance of the use of time, even when doing sport, especially for children and teenagers (19 October 2022).
• Reception of the Local and Regional Governments Time Network as part of TUW (October 2022). As this year’s capital and a member of the Network’s Board, Barcelona was responsible for hosting the Local and Regional Governments Time Network’s general assembly. During the event, Latin American towns and cities displayed their interest in time policies, and alliances with cities such as Bogotá and Buenos Aires were made.  
• Event to transfer capital status to Bolzano (March 2023)
   

Further information:
https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/usosdeltemps/en/who-are-we/barcelona-world-capital-time-policies