The Urban Planning Department of Valencia Part 1 Project 2023 Lemuel Aaron Gonzales University for the Creative Arts | UK Through key observations of Valencia’s urban fabric, the project challenges how urban planning is dealt with and how the planning process operates, and most importantly how we can open up the system for a more engaging, democratic, and transparent procedure for the city, and for the community to be more involved in decision-making. This raises questions about how we should be building today, and in the future. The city of Valencia struggles from the recurring abandonment and neglect of properties particularly in the Old Town; a current issue that desperately needed to be addressed and brought to light. With architectural ethics in mind and considering the general purpose of the project, the building strives to set an example in its choice of materials, primarily focusing on how they come together; creating and reflecting spaces that encourages the coming together of people. The differentiation in the heavy and the lightweight, the temporary and the permanent; establishing different hierarchies in materiality, programme, and architectonics. With encouraged participation through public consultations, social debates and architectural workshops, the project aims to create a space of connectivity, awareness and activism, a social hub for change and education for the betterment of Valencia’s urban fabric and unique architectural landscape. Tutor(s) Alex Cotterill