How to retake a city from the wealthy elite: a guide by Barcelona en Comú

2016-06-22T12:54:00-04:00

In May 2015, the citizen platform Barcelona en Comú (Barcelona in Common) catapulted Ada Colau into power as the city’s first female mayor. Ten months earlier, the group didn’t even exist. With no money and little experience, just how did they wrest the city from the entrenched political caste that had been running it for the past 40 years? Not surprisingly, Barcelona en Comú has since been inundated with requests for an answer...

"In response, the group produced a step-by-step explanation – How to Win Back the City en Comú"

Barcelona en Comú is a citizen platform launched in 2014 that is the minority government in power right now in Barcelona. Many of its members participated in the 15M movement and come from political organizing backgrounds, and the organization has ties to Podemos.

The full title of the guide, which is available as a pdf here, is How to win back the city en comú: guide to building a citizen municipal platform.

"For us, 'winning back the city' is about much more than winning the local elections," they write. "It means putting a new, transparent and participatory model of local government, which is under citizen control, into practice."

The guide describes how to create such a platform, from pre-launch organization to winning an election. It explicates financing models and electoral structuring.

A scant 10 pages, the guide is accessible and well-designed. Spain has recently witnessed a bit of a ...

Whose Public Space Is This? 80 Arrested in 'Occupied Wall Street'

2011-09-27T20:13:33-04:00

Inspired by the massive public protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol Square, hundreds have camped out in a square near Wall Street since Sept. 17, 2011, as part of a campaign dubbed "Occupy Wall Street."

On Saturday NYPD and its counter terrorism beat arrested and humiliated 80 activist for terrorizing Wall Street. These are the peaceful protesters with articulate voice and a message, aware of social injustice growing in American cities. Could this be the beginnings of American Spring?

In the mean time around the high culture speak, the architectural press has a more positive 'view' of a thriving city, ohh.., the Big Apple love... "The decade has been a golden age for the city, a renaissance in architecture and urban design."

Urban Design how and for whom madam? For the tourists of New York?

Anyway.

Occupy Wall Street! It is about time and It is your City!

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How to retake a city from the wealthy elite: a guide by Barcelona en Comú

Whose Public Space Is This? 80 Arrested in 'Occupied Wall Street'