Regenerating cultural landscapes: Llobregat textile colonies master plan

Institutions: Government of Catalonia, Spain; UIC Barcelona, Spain

Years: 2005 – 2007

Researchers: Pere Vall (PI), Marta Benages

The regeneration of intermediate landscapes with significant heritage resources is an important challenge. The preservation of 15 small textile mill villages spread along the banks of a 20km stretch of the Llobregat River is a good example of this. The Llobregat Textile Colonies Master Plan is strongly committed to caring for local identity and environmental values, and proposes a civic network to ensure the development of vibrant neighbourhoods connected by way of a river park. A balance between the residential and industrial activity of the colonies is needed in order to guarantee the feasibility of the heritage, according to the needs of the local communities.