Gavà - Castelldefels Consortium
Gavà and Castelldefels are two adjacent municipalities from the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (Spain). They are 18 km from Barcelona, in the southwest, following the Mediterranean coast. Both cities belong to the Baix Llobregat region with 34 municipalities and have excellent connections with the airport, the port and the city of Barcelona.
Economy
Gavà offers its visitors a wealth of attractions: a coastline spanning 4 kilometres, with a pine forest 400 metres wide and unique dunes, the Garraf Nature Park and a town full of great spots for enjoying its history and its culture. Its archaeological heritage is one to be envied, with Prehistoric mines –the oldest in Europe – and the popular Gavà Venus, 5,800 years old. Gavà is also known for its activities relating to culture, sports and associations, and has recovered and further established its traditional fairs with new and innovative programmes and events.
Castelldefels, located between the Mediterranean and the Garraf massif, in addition to its attractive beaches which extend for 5 kilometres, visitors can enjoy the Canal Olímpic, which offers the perfect facilities for lovers of water sports. Its rich architectural heritage includes the 17th century castle, the Romanesque church – with remains of an Iberian settlement inside - and the lookout towers dating from the days the pirates ruled the waves (17th century). A wide range of hotels and restaurants offering excellent levels of service complete the offer of this town.
Future Goals and Interests
A political priority that face both municipalities in this mandate is the digital transformation, that must transcend in local public administrations to offer proactive services to citizens.
Gavà City Council has experience leading consortiums that work in innovation and digitalisation projects, such as GAVIUS (Urban Innovative Actions) which has a 5.3M € budget. GAVIUS is a virtual assistant to communicate to citizens the social aids.
In 2019, Castelldefels drew up its Smart City strategy and DTI project, which concluded with 60 actions grouped into 6 priority thematic areas. As a result of that collective work, there are half a dozen transversal projects.
Both municipalities are currently working on the installation of smart columns along the beach waterfront that integrate public address systems with SIP technology, WIFI and 5G networks and the possibility to integrate all sort of sensors such as weather stations, cameras, people counting devices, etc. This project aims to improve communications between users and beach managers, the quality of public services, ensure the resilience of the environment, as well as effective public connectivity.
