The vast increase of world population in the last decades, has led to enormous urban growth causing a great list of problems, the extent of which has put at risk the balance of the planet and the quality of life of people. This global challenge has caught the attention of public policies and actions. Amongst them the European Union and the United Nations, which have established challenges and priority goals in order to act in a sustainable manner and build cities where citizens can enjoy a decent quality of life, generating shared prosperity and social stability without further harming the environment (1). The European Union is currently facing great social challenges such, health, demographic change and welfare; safe energy, clean and efficient; intelligent transport, ecological and integrated; climate action, environment, resource and raw material efficiency; Europe in a changing world: inclusive societies, innovative and thoughtful.
La Pinada is a project that seeks to create social and environmental value, beyond economical value. That is why it is aligned with the aforementioned values and aims to show that generating a transition towards a new model is possible.
Our project aims to have a positive impact and generate social and environmental value, beyond the purely economic. Below you will find the purpose we seek, within the international frame of reference of IRIS the GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network) https://iris.thegiin.org focusing on the following objectives:
SOCIAL VALUE
Improving access to education.
La Pinada is conceived as a setting that fosters learning. On the one hand, it includes an innovative school and an accessible activity training programme for all, which will be the driving force of the neighbourhood. On the other hand, the neighbourhood itself is an experimental environment, a Living Lab where innovative urban solutions will be tested.
Improving accessibility to a new home.
La Pinada is an inclusive environment, as it includesa diversity of home typologies as well as different housing units( co-living, cooperative, leasing…) so as to make them available to diverse population groups.
Promoting community development
La Pinada is a cohesive environment, where every individual has their opinion taken into account from the outset. The neighbourhood is co-designed by its residents, and there has been a process of public consultation in order to consider all relevant factors and to hear every voice.
La Pinada is a vibrant space which provides its residents and environment with a great variety of sport and cultural activities to enjoy in family. Furthermore, the residents are faced with a vast range of high street establishments. A space to be proud of that generates social cohesion.
La Pinada is a safe environment for families, as it is motor vehicle free, allowing children to play in the streets.
Generating employment for groups at risk of social exclusion
La Pinada intends to hire groups at risk of social exclusion to carry out maintenance tasks in green areas, resource management, rental management, and any other renovation work.
Funding charitable causes.
La Pinada includes, amongst many others,activities to raise funds for charitable causes that agree with their values.
Generating a healthy environment.
La Pinada is a healthy environment, as direct contact with nature instantly enriches health and well-being. Integrated in full nature and motor vehicle free, it contributes to a better air quality, less noise and supports active healthy living ( reducing the possibility of respiratory diseases and obesity while improving the quality of sleep) Moreover, the housing units will be built with healthy non-toxic materials, following health criteria such ventilation and natural lighting, as well as external noise insulation.
Access to information.
La Pinada encourages ITCs use providing its residents with means of communications and facilitating access to resource consumptioninformation for a more rational use.( taking part in activities, communicating between members, participating in solutions, shared mobility, etc.
NATURAL VALUE
Biodiversity conservation.
La Pinada promotes improving the biodiversity, restoring the native fauna and flora of the setting, creating green corridors, respecting the diversity of species and land regeneration, as well as fostering green roofs, urban gardens, etc.
Energy efficiency improvement and use of renewable energies.
La Pinada aims to become a neighbourhood that produces the energy that consumes , in such way that the resulting balance is zero.It is a smart grid at the level of the neighbourhood, where buildings not only consume energy, but also they produce it (prosumers).This includes lowering energy demand through NZEB buildings (nearly zero energy use) increasing the production of renewable energies (district heating/cooling); energy accumulation (batteries) and also, implementing energy sharing formulas, as some buildings will be able to produce more energy than they use, or at different times of the day, in order to optimize the production and use.
Natural resource conservation.
La Pinada promotes the efficient use of natural resources. Implementing solutions like rainwater storage and water recycling, to be used subsequently as garden or park irrigation. It also manages the use municipal solid waste for biomass or biogas. Formulas are being developed so that the resulting balance is zero, closing water and waste cycles.
Generating a climate change-resilient environment.
La Pinada is a climate change-resilient environment, enduring towards its effects such floods and heat waves through natural solutions in order to minimize the urban-heat-island effect and generate fresh spaces for the summer and sustainable drainage systems that will avoid floods.
Preventing pollution.
La Pinada is an environment with a better air quality, as it opts for the pedestrianisation of the neighbourhood. Movement in the neighbourhood will be designed for pedestrians and cyclists, and different means of shared transport will be made available for metropolitan trips. A neighbourhood where to move around freely without having to cross a street or run into a car. A return to our origins, when we were kids and used to play in the street.
Governance
Since the impacts generated in the environment have been clearly defined, it is necessary to explain the basic directives of our management model, and our internal performance as an organisation that is on route to achieve the generation of social value and environmental objectives.
La Pinada takes care of its work environment
Our work environment favours the integral development of the people who form our team. Our environment favours conciliation, for example, offering flexible working hours, training and favours equitable salaries and takes care of the gender perspective.
La Pinada contributes to talent development and innovative business networking
La Pinada orients its expenditure and carries out initiatives that contribute to the development of innovative companies, talent development and support for entrepreneurs.
La Pinada favours social clauses in relation with suppliers
For example, by encouraging environmentally sustainable processes, products and social inclusion, encouraging the employment of disadvantaged groups and those in risk of exclusion.
La Pinada is an advocate for transparency
La Pinada lets the whole community participate in its actions and the company’s results, and lets the community participate during the whole design process.
Take part in the co-creation process of your neighbourhood and your home
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE HERE?
If you want to call this place “HOME”, register yourself for the co-creation process.
I love it, I want to register now!Prefer our email? hola@barriolapinada.es
How does it work?
Our co-creation process consists of involving families from the beginning, so that they can share their opinions and help design the neighbourhood and its houses. Your registration demonstrates an interest in this project and gives you:
a) A right to participate in the process
b) A right to access a house of your preference according to order of registration, amongst other variables, that is available for rent or purchase, under the same conditions offered by the market.
Registration does not carry a promise or obligation to obtain a house.