| Issue | Noise pollution |
| Participant size | 25 |
| Location | Plaça de la Virreina, Barcelona, Spain |
| Short description | As part of the CitiObs project, the Barcelona case study tackled the pressing issue of noise pollution in Plaça de la Virreina, a vibrant public square in the Gràcia district. While beloved for its lively atmosphere, the square’s popularity has led to ongoing tensions between social activity and residential well-being. To respond to this, FRC Barcelona initiated a community-led process using the CitiObs Creative and Community-led Action Toolkit, blending quantitative noise data with qualitative insights and creative proceses. This had led to a series of co-creation activities with local residents, professionals, and creative — hosted at the Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia — resulting in the creation of an imaginative intervention: Rut, a fictional, AI-animated character that embodies the community’s concerns. Rut was designed to raise awareness in a playful yet powerful way, helping visitors and locals reflect on the impact of urban noise while preserving the anonymity and voices of the residents. |
| Long description | One significant challenge identified in Barcelona was noise pollution in Plaça de la Virreina, a lively square in the Gràcia neighborhood. The square is a vibrant gathering space where locals, community members, and tourists enjoy outdoor terraces, socialize, and embrace urban life. However, its popularity has also led to noise-related concerns for nearby residents. The challenge: how to balance the square's dynamic energy with respect for the neighbors' well-being and the environment? To address this, the FRC Barcelona co-created a creative, citizen-led intervention in the square. The initiative involved a series of collaborative activities, including collective ideation, prototyping sessions, and other co-creation workshops, leading to the creation of a unique interactive fictitious character named Rut. The first steps were led by the Citizen Observatory (CO) and started with the data collection of noise level patterns by the residents in different locations in the square, including Smart Citizen tool sensors installed in a few balconies. In parallel, qualitative data collection was also carried out through a survey approach called Diagnostico Ciudadano (which translates to Citizen Diagnosis) focusing on identifying the noise perception by the affected people in the surrounding area. Following this, two open calls were launched: the first invited the community to propose solutions for reducing noise levels, while the second, in collaboration with CitiObs and the Distributed Design Platform, invited creative talents willing to support the community in developing the selected idea. With the initial results in hand, the co-creation sessions began at the inspiring digital fabrication laboratory, Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia. These sessions brought together neighbors, professionals, and participants from the CO, guided by experts from the creative sector and supported by advanced technological and digital tools. The goal was to represent the local community while addressing the noise issues in Plaza de la Virreina. Rut served as a symbolic figure to highlight these challenges, fostering empathy and raising awareness among visitors, all while protecting the anonymity of residents by using artificial intelligence tools. |
| Partners | Citizen Observatory LAB CSU (Laboratorio Ciudadano de Salud Urbana) for the local project TÀNIA, an initiative led by Lichen Innovación Social and ISGlobal (Instituto de Salud Global Barcelona). |
| Types of stakeholders enagaged | Citizens, creatives (designers and makers), bar owner, local community organisations, scientists |
| Tools used | * Creative Radar * Creative Power: Co-designing an open call for creatives with the Distributed Design Platform * Collective Ideation * Starfish model |
| Impact & Learnings | This exciting citizen-led action has generated invaluable insights for the CitiObs project by showcasing the power of merging diverse skills, such as behavioral change methods, digital tools, and citizen participation, to develop collaborative solutions. Through the use of structured feedback loops, these activities helped to continuously refine and improve both the tools and methodologies available for future Citizen Observatories. The experience in Barcelona demonstrates how creative, community-centered solutions can address urban challenges while empowering local residents. |
| Links & documentation | https://citiobs.eu/citizen-led-interventions-to-reduce-noise-by-the-frontrunner-case-in-barcelona/ |