• Creativity, Innovation and Urban Transformation

    The research group on Creativity, Innovation and Urban Transformation (CRIT) is a consolidated research group of University of Barcelona. It is formed by an interdisciplinary team, including economists, sociologists, fine arts researchers and anthropologists from the departments of Economy and Sociology as well as from the faculty of fine arts. We also have members involved in other institutions (Diputació de Barcelona, Elisava).

  • Research and teaching on urban development

    Since 2009 CRIT is developing urban research under European and national, regional and local funding. Their members are teaching also in degrees, master degrees and PhD programs.

  • Social Innovation and Urban governance: Citizenship, Civil Society and Social Movements

    CRIT last featured book, Social Innovation and Urban Governance offers an empirically based discussion on the scope the innovative actions of citizens and social movements contributing to local democratic governance. Contributions highlight how innovative actions created opportunities for ‘bottom-up’ civil participation in local institutions of governance. Edited by Marc Pradel-Miquel, Ana Cano-Hila and Marisol García, and includes contributions from Fernando Díaz Orueta, María Luísa Lourés Seoane, Santiago Eizaguirre Anglada, Lídia Garcia and Raúl Ruíz Solá.

CRIT researchers develop comparative research with interdisciplinary approaches in different topics

  • Governance and multilevel governance

    Analysis of the transformation of urban governance in cities and metropolitan regions and its consequences in terms of provison of social policies, economic development and the growth of social inequalities.

  • Citizenship and globalisation

    Transformations of citizenship in the global world, with focus on the construction of new forms of social citizenship. Analysis of the emergence of an European citizenship

  • Social innovation against social exclusion

    Analysis of socially innovative processes against social inequalities. Social Innovation is understood as collective processes of provision of uncovered needs, empowerment and changing relations of power. We analyse the role of civil society and public administrations in the development of these processes

  • Urban regeneration and housing policies

    Analysis of the social consequences of urban regeneration projects with special emphasis on the role of housing policies and the transformation of neighbourhoods.

  • Urban sustainability, socio-ecological conflicts and environment

    This research line focuses on environmental change in the urban context and the transformation of cities towards ecological sustainability, taking attention to the social conflict in these transformations

  • Social inequalities, education and local welfare

    Analysis of the relation between educational systems, careers and social inequalities, with special attention to the relation between local welfare systems and the opportunities they offer to young people.

  • Competitiveness and urban innovation in the global context

    Analysis of strategies and approaches to urban competitiveness in the global arena, focusing on the key elements of urban models and paradigms for economic growth. Special attention is held to new models to foster innovation and creativity in the urban context.

CRIT is committed to research and teaching on urban development and its impact on economy and society

News

Montserrat Pareja-Eastaway elected new Chair of ENHR

Montserrat Pareja-Eastaway has been elected new Chair of the European Network of Housing Reesarch (ENHR). Established in 1988, ENHR provides an organizational platform for institutions and individuals in (and outside) Europe, who are actively engaged in housing research. It now has about 200 individual members and nearly 700 employees from 65 institutional members, representing almost […]

Encyclopedia of Citizenship Studies

Edited by Marisol García Cabeza, formerly Department of Sociology, Honorary Distinction, University of Barcelona, Spain and Thomas Faist, Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Germany This Encyclopedia presents a comprehensive collection of entries addressing the normative claims and definitions of the critical concepts, principles, and approaches that make up the field of citizenship studies. The Encyclopedia […]