Raül’s thesis researches on the new roles that architects are assuming in the city of Barcelona in a context of economic crisis, where the so celebrated Barcelona Model that emerged for the 1992 Olympic Games has proved to be obsolete and unable to give a response to social needs. Architects are increasingly assuming roles traditionally performed by social enablers and activits, and address local communities as their main clients. Thus, the research investigates how this new community architect is part of a strategic re-thinking of the relationship between architecture and urban development. Taking Barcelona as a research context, it will develop a new theory of urban transformation framed by social movements and protocols of participation. The aim of this is to re-strategize the relationships between administration, neighbourhood associations, academia and architects in the delivery of a new public housing agenda and procurement processes.
