One more step towards building a future community with shared and resilient spaces

July 22, 2025 – The DANA once again showed that when the territory suffers, organized civil society is essential to channel solidarity, but also that it must be better prepared, connected, and organized.

For this reason, and following the process of active listening with all the entities affected by the catastrophe, from the Foundation we reaffirm the need to continue working on the creation of a network of associations in l’Horta Sud. A network that operates in emergencies, but also all year round to strengthen collaboration between organizations, share knowledge, and be in a better position to act when needed.

And we know that this network will need to include shared community spaces throughout the territory: vibrant and accessible venues where we can meet, train, organize activities, and build relationships. So, we’ve taken a step forward and this week we acquired a space in Benetússer to create this hub that will support the community and coordinate the distribution of resources and services before, during, or after a natural risk event.

The building is a former nightclub that had been abandoned before the DANA and will be restored by the Princess of Girona Foundation, which is working side by side with the Horta Sud Foundation to refurbish the space and create a venue that meets all the needs and demands of the social fabric.

In fact, to deepen this aspect, we are developing a participatory process with two sessions to share these needs and imagine new models of coexistence and shared uses.

The first session was held on Thursday, July 10, with around thirty organizations from various fields who discussed different uses for the venue, the activities they would like to carry out, and even the materials to be used in the renovation. The session facilitated by the team responsible for participatory design, made up of Arquitectura Sin Fronteras España, Quatorze, Enpeu and Quidam. This group is already collaborating on the development of the ‘Asertos’ community regeneration programme, which includes architect, public health expert and 2024 Princess of Girona Social Award winner Daniel Millor Vela.

After the summer break, the goal is to hold another session to talk about governance, leadership, and local power. Also, to delve further into the future challenges we face as a community and how we can address them through this network, starting from our shared space.

So we encourage you to stay tuned in September on our social media and website to keep up with all the latest updates from this process and join the next session.