Bricia

Venue: Casa de Conceyu de Bricia · 9 October 2016 · 18:00 h
Participants: 19

The Bricia session began with a firm statement: Bricia does not see itself as a neighbourhood of Posada. Its residents claim their own identity, clear boundaries and protection for their cultural, ethnographic and natural heritage.

Its proximity to Posada, a powerful commercial and transit hub, creates concern about future developments that could affect the village, such as an industrial area or a bypass road.

Bricia does not oppose growth, but asks that it match its character of low, detached homes. It also calls for the real boundaries of the village to be studied, signposted and respected.

In response to speculative pressure and gentrification linked to massive urbanisation processes, the session proposes promoting local employment, heritage and rehabilitation of the “dead” real estate remains left by the construction boom.

Key ideas

Situation: Bricia feels affected by Posada’s territorial influence and claims its own identity.
Tension: Nearby growth may become industrial, road or speculative pressure.
Learning: Not opposing growth does not mean accepting any scale or form.
Return: Carry out a technical study on real needs, village boundaries and rehabilitation alternatives.

Urban beings and roles

Residents of Bricia: defend identity, boundaries and local scale.
Posada as a nearby hub: influences expectations, mobility and territorial pressure.
Cultural and natural heritage: appears as the basis for alternative development.
Speculative dynamics or promoters: are perceived as risks to village identity.

Rights to introduce

Right to be recognised as a village. Bricia’s identity should not be diluted into Posada.
Right to clear and signposted boundaries. Knowing where the village begins and ends is part of recognition.
Right to growth adjusted to local scale. Low and detached homes are part of the place’s character.
Right to rehabilitate before expanding.

Rights or situations to eradicate

Eradicate speculative pressure. Development should not expel identity or population.
Eradicate gentrification linked to mass urbanisation. Improvement should not displace.
Eradicate abandoned real estate “corpses”. What remains unfinished should become part of the solution.
Eradicate boundary confusion. Territorial uncertainty generates conflict.

Rights to protect

Protect Bricia’s own identity. It is not an appendage of another settlement.
Protect cultural, ethnographic and natural heritage. They are future resources.
Protect the landscape of low, detached homes. Scale matters.
Protect local employment from extractive models.