Six residents of Calafell took part in a workshop held at the Civic Centre to share their vision of the coastline and express what kind of coast they would like for the future. The initiative aims to explore people’s perception of and connection to the territory through the landscape, highlighting personal, emotional and everyday experiences linked to the coast.
During the session, participants explained their relationship with the Calafell coastline and shared their expectations and hopes for the future of the area. The group included a fisherman, three scientists, a representative from a neighbourhood association and a local resident.
Throughout the workshop, numerous reflections and proposals emerged, which will be included in an exhibition scheduled to take place between September and October. The exhibition will be visited by local and regional political representatives from both southern France and Catalonia, with the aim of taking citizens’ voices into account in the future management of the Catalan coastline.
The meeting also served to present an innovative methodology developed by En Haut!, in which landscape, past, present and future become the common thread and connecting link between the different inhabitants of the territory. The reflections collected are rich in popular wisdom and local knowledge, stemming from direct experience with the coastline — knowledge that often goes beyond technical offices and formal decision-making spaces.
The knowledge shared by participants will be transformed into an exhibition open to the public, as well as to political representatives, technicians and coastal researchers. The initiative raises important questions about the future need to integrate local wisdom into territorial management and about the role citizens should play in decisions affecting their environment.
This workshop was designed by En Haut! and AURCA and facilitated by the University of Girona (UdG).
