"Bays - Baells , Rural Regeneration Laboratory"

This project addresses the concern that has arisen in recent years due to the devaluation of human and environmental aspects in rural areas, focusing on the specific case study of Baells municipality in Huesca, Aragon, where agricultural activities have progressively declined, leading to crop abandonment and a decrease in the population.

The municipality is situated in a Mediterranean landscape near the Pyrenees, where the impact of climate change has affected the availability of water resources. Additionally, there has been a lack of consumer awareness regarding food production processes.

The recent pandemic has prompted a revaluation of rural environments, driven by their attractive health attributes, habitability, and landscape quality. Consequently, there has been a moderate return of urban dwellers to small villages, putting the actual provision of services to the test. This phenomenon represents a process reversal referred to as "new rurality."

The concept of "new rurality" or "bio-rurality" is discussed as a reversal process that seeks new ways of living, activities, and relationships that engage with existing elements. In the workshop "Bays - Baells, a laboratory for rural world regeneration," socio-productive visions of their garden-farm have been proposed, along with the development of identity through chroma and new activities, as intervention strategies to revitalize these rural areas while empowering the local community. The objective is to foster a more positive and sustainable vision of rural life, leveraging its attributes to attract new inhabitants and enhance its development.