Food bringing the community together

A lot has been said about the lack of social cohesion in the new areas of Poblenou. In the interviews undertaken on the streets as part of our cluster theory analysis proved that the new shiny office buildings were inhabited by people who only work in the area. They reside, socialise and live elsewhere. The main culprit has always been the extension of 22@ development down Diagonal.

Yet, Sunday evening as Jake Becky and I exited Selvar de Mar metro station we came across a small street vendor. This churros van had quite the queue outside and various teenage boys hanging around it. This sign of life on an unremarkable street corner, surrounded by shiny new office blocks contained some of the social cohesion and life that the historic heart of Poblenou around La Rambla de Poblenou embodies. The older man has been serving Churros his whole life. His son has been working with him in the van at the corner for 4 years. They were an institution. And though we were not particularly hungry we got pulled in to the queue; we wanted to be part of this social event!

This spontaneous life between buildings is exactly what we are all trying to achieve in the abandoned area of Can Ricart. It draws people out of their homes, to buy Churros, to converse, to connect. For us it was a perfect end to a Sunday as we sat on a bench on Diagonal with a warm cone of Churros to share amongst us.

#wsa #emuve #food #exploring