This joint initiative seeks to address improvements in key areas such as housing, community facilities, and ecological transition in seven neighborhoods: two in Sant Adrià (Sant Adrià Nord and Sant Joan Baptista) and five in Badalona (El Remei, Sant Roc, Artigues, Sant Mori de Llefià, and Sant Antoni de Llefià). These neighborhoods form an urban continuum with shared social and residential dynamics.
The agreement was forged after both municipalities were not included in the first list of selected projects for the Pla de Barris, presented last December. While Badalona's mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, cited a lack of time to prepare projects, Sant Adrià was already working on its own proposal and suggested joining forces.
“"Residents would not understand why the quality of housing, streets, parks, or the network of community facilities would be treated differently due to an administrative line."
The proposal, named 'Mending Borders: Weaving Community', is expected to be finalized by summer for submission. The involved neighborhoods comprise 31,655 inhabitants, 9,247 homes, and an average per capita income below 12,000 euros, with a Territorial Socioeconomic Index below 80, highlighting their socioeconomic vulnerability and the need for comprehensive public intervention.
Among the projects that could be funded, José A. Gras mentioned the rehabilitation of Can Rigalt, Sant Adrià's oldest building, to transform it into an "urban laboratory". There is also a desire to introduce more green areas and "cool islands" to mitigate the effects of climate change. Daniel Gracia, second deputy mayor of Badalona, emphasized the goal of "mending urban and administrative fractures" and "strengthening physical and social connectivity" between the neighborhoods.
