In the last days, the mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, presented the results of the participatory process which, through the Vice-Rectorate for Social Innovation, Employability and Entrepreneurship at the University of Granada and MediaLab UGR, was carried out among the citizens of Granada as part of Granada's bid to become European Capital of Culture 2031, " a project involving all the people of Granada, whose opinions have been collected in order to develop the transformation of our city as the epicentre of culture in 2031".

Marifrán Carazo pointed out that ‘we are taking another step on the road to Capital 2031, where what really matters is the metamorphosis that our city is going to undergo, that sustainable cultural, social and urban legacy that will remain in Granada for all citizens to enjoy forever’.

The mayor pointed out that ‘Granada 2031 is presented as an ambitious project for the city and province that turns the European Capital of Culture into an ecosystem of cultural and social innovation’, which, after years of active listening, has developed multiple spaces for citizen participation and institutional cooperation, with more than 1,300 proposals collected in open processes‘, reflecting ’ the diversity and cross-cutting, inclusive approach of this project, which is strongly rooted in the territory."

Marifrán Carazo also stated that ‘Granada 2031 is not just a candidacy, it is a platform for cultural, social and territorial transformation that proposes a collaborative, distributed and sustainable model that highlights the cultural, heritage and creative assets of the city of Granada and the entire province.’

Carazo explained that, of the different milestones on which this project is being built, unifying all sectors of Granada, both in the city and in the province, ‘today we present the results obtained by the LabIN Granada Platform, which has received more than 1,300 proposals from citizens in fields such as education, culture, tourism, the environment, mobility and innovation, ideas that have nourished the entire process’.

The Granada leader emphasised that ‘the results reaffirm that the Granada 2031 Candidacy is a strategic opportunity to consolidate the cultural leadership of the city and the province in Europe, promoting sustainable development, social cohesion and citizen innovation’.

The mayor recalled that, around this participatory process, “last year we carried out the launch of the Participatory Groups, in whose final phase, different forms of participation were proposed and thematic working groups were formed, open to citizens and organizations”, in addition to having led last March “the meeting of Working Groups in the Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz la Real, where all groups met in a joint session to start their autonomous work”.

The result of all this has led to the creation of nine thematic axes around which the working groups and strategic proposals are articulated, which are Cultural and Digital Innovation; Heritage and Sustainability; Creative and Sustainable Tourism; Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Multiculturalism; European Dimension; Spaces for Culture; Training and Education; Dissemination and Awareness; Employment and Cultural Entrepreneurship; in addition to the creation of a Libraries Sector Group.

Thus, among these headings, the mayor highlighted some proposals such as the creation of a Youth Film Festival; promoting cultural spaces of interaction for dialogue, coexistence and diversity; the integration of the Geopark as a cultural, heritage and sustainable resource; promoting the recognition of Granada as a Creative City; peace and democracy as core values; itineraries with shade, vegetation and fountains, integrating nature and history; bringing cultural activities to suburbs, villages and unconventional spaces such as hospitals or prisons; promoting culture as a tool for economic development and social cohesion in rural areas; exchange with other European cultural capitals; merging efforts between organizations linked to Europe and the SDGs; creation of a provincial Cultural Agency with a mobile app that unifies the agenda of events by municipalities, areas and spaces; interdisciplinary training programs that integrate art, science, technology and sport; balance between social networks, traditional media and emerging spaces; inclusion of excluded groups and local cultural dynamism; or transforming libraries into spaces for cultural and community production; among many others.

In addition, Granada 2031 articulates the candidacy from a provincial and decentralized dimension, with outstanding projects in Montefrío: international artistic residence and wind and flamenco festivals; Galera: Jazz Festival in the Desert; Santa Fe: America Institute and historical literature festival; El Valle and Dúrcal: Museum of Rural Tradition, Orange Fair; Purullena and Bejarín: caves, ceramics, literary festival; Dílar: popular legends and recovery of irrigation ditches; Ogíjares: National Flamenco Festival, “Villa de la Música”; Alpujarra de la Sierra: “El Pueblo Libro”, Strategic Cultural Plan; among others.

For his part, the Vice Rector for Social Innovation, Employability and Entrepreneurship of the University of Granada, Esteba Romero said that “citizen participation is key to strengthening all processes of innovation, design and development of the city we want to build in 2031 and beyond”.

He also added that “the university, from a focus on innovation, works in these areas, supporting the City Council to try to strengthen projects such as the cultural capital, as well as other initiatives that seek to transform the territory and the lives of people”.

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