The project “Horts al terrat” (Rooftop Garden) by the Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (IMPD) received a New European Bauhaus Prize in a ceremony in Brussels on Friday, 12 April. The award was given in the category “Prioritising the places and people that need it the most” and recognised the sustainability and inclusion of this project, which promotes autonomy and learning and brings horticulture and its benefits closer to people with disabilities.

This was one of ten projects chosen from over 530 candidacies by a professional jury. The winners were elected through a popular vote, open to the public. The prize carries a monetary value of 30,000 euros and a communication package to help develop and promote the initiative.

Rooftop gardens

The “Rooftop Garden” project promotes autonomy, social inclusion and learning for people with disabilities through training in horticulture and other associated processes. The initiative brings unused rooftops to life on top of public buildings in the city, producing vegetables sustainably and donating excess produce to soup kitchens and food banks. The project also brings emotional and social benefits to the participants.

The initiative began in the spring of 2016 and now includes ten urban cultivation spaces in six city districts (Les Corts, Gràcia, L’Eixample, Ciutat Vella, Sant Martí and Sants-Montjuïc). Examples include the rooftop at the Palau Foronda, the District Office in Sants-Montjuïc, the Escola Francesc Macià and the Institut de Sants, where students are also involved.

Backed by 23 participating organisations and over 200 users with disabilities, the project harvested 1,727 kilos of vegetables in 2023. The project has also been recognised as good practice by the European Public Sector Awards (EPSA) in the category for local and supralocal administrations.

Prizes connecting nature and the circular economy prioritising people

The New European Bauhaus is a space promoted by the European Commission, bringing together citizens, experts, companies and institutions, promoting innovation to imagine and build a more sustainable and inclusive future. One of its initiatives are the New Bauhaus Prizes, held since 2021 and highlighting the creativity of cross-disciplinary projects connecting the European Green Deal with people’s everyday lives.