The experience of culture, art and space in european neighborhoods

by María Cantón, Laura Kaiser, Anna Torrabadella, Júlia Soler, Cristina Ye, Abdullah Ebrahimi, Nuwaira Agyiri, Bianca da Silva Santos, Nita Dedinca, Akife Gülçebi, Mariana Teixeira, Mariana Bernardo, Tomás Ferreira, Catarina Duarte, Maria Carolina

Although El Raval is not the most known neighborhood in Barcelona, it is the most unique one with its iconic places and multiculturalism. We had the opportunity to discover that the cultural diversity is a link between the neighborhoods of Lisbon and Amsterdam, especially the culture expressed outdoors, like the street art of graffities. We have studied Ateneu Raval, a new community space that seeks an intercultural exchange in the field of knowledge and cultural expressions, enhancing the cohesion of the social fabric by developing inclusive projects and empowering both the space itself and the neighborhood.

Picture: https://www.culturacotidiana.com/es/perfil-ateneu-del-raval-261

Street Art Carnide is a public and open air gallery in the Padre Cruz Neighborhood. The project was developed by the Boutique da Cultura association, a non-profit cultural organization in Carnide.

Considering it gives everyone the chance to experience art at any time and for free, making it part of everyday life for everyone, street art’s main goal is to bring art closer to the citizens and to create a tourist itinerary. It allows to bring art closer to the community and the project’s social relevance which allows the restructuring of social neighborhoods, thus giving better conditions to the inhabitants. The art on display also gives the possibility to create a tourist “hot spot” in Lisbon, like the lx factory, because the “Instagram-able” content has a strong potential to become viral.

In Amsterdam, the local government has been working hard to rebrand the neighborhood, redesigning and rebuilding houses in public spaces in order to improve the urban quality and safety of the neighborhood. Almost all the residents in Bijlmermeer live in small apartments without access to green space, so the Park plays an especially important role in building community and improving residence quality of life. The park has allowed for the expansion of residents’ living space creating an outdoor living room for the community.