When the lefties run a city…

One of the reasons why I wanted to study Political Ecology in Barcelona was to witness first-hand the progressive municipalism of Barcelona en Comú (the Comuns). In 2015 a group of activists decided to run for office. They had been challenged to do so; they realized there were limits to what they could accomplish outside the halls of power. Instead of starting a new political party they created a progressive platform. To everyone’s surprise they won and Ada Colau became the first female mayor of the city. <img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*yHbB8mCLl3uk_qiA7gnz5g.jpeg" style="height:700px; width:700px" /> Ada Colau, Alcadessa (mayor) of Barcelona since 2015 I heard about the Comuns early on; they helped the organize the Fearless Cities conference I attended and presented at in NYC in 2017. In particular I am really drawn to Ada’s presence and communication style. She speaks about the issues and the solutions without much jargon or rhetoric. They talk about a city where everyone can live, kids can play safety, elders can get around with ease and support, cleaner air and trees, ending the dominance of cars and retaking the streets for people, improving worker conditions and pay, and creating loads more affordable housing. Care is at the center of the work and this makes it a truly feminist platform. <a href="https://medium.com/@valeriecosta/when-the-lefties-run-a-city-3e52d6eb6c26">Learn More</a>