The Comunalitat del Güell is part of the Urban Communalities Network, a programme promoted by the Department of Business and Labour of the Generalitat de Catalunya for the period 2022–2024. The programme aims to strengthen local economic networks through the lens of the right to the city and the social and solidarity economy. It brings together 22 community-based initiatives across Catalonia that work to reinforce urban commons and develop new forms of mutual aid rooted in neighbourhood life, associative movements, cooperatives, small businesses, self-organised projects, and solidarity networks. Each Communalitat is expected to generate tangible social impact in its territory, particularly for people in vulnerable situations, by improving employment and employability, activating mutual support networks, and fostering cooperative, community-based, and sustainable local economic projects.
While the network is coordinated and supported by the Office of Urban Communalities of the Generalitat, each Communalitat is locally governed. The Güell Community brings together organisations and initiatives from the neighbourhoods of Santa Eugènia, Sant Narcís, and Can Gibert del Pla in Girona, united by a shared commitment to social transformation and the improvement of living conditions. Its action is guided by the values of the social and solidarity economy, cooperativism, and the commons. Governance is participatory and collective, centred on a general assembly as the main decision-making body, supported by an activating committee, thematic working groups, and a technical office that provides coordination, guidance, and advisory support, ensuring transparency and shared responsibility.
In a context of growing social and economic precarity that limits access to essential services and weakens community life, the Comunalitat del Güell promotes a people-centred economy grounded in social rights, environmental care, and strong community ties. It works to strengthen mutual aid networks, consolidate grassroots organisations, and support stable economic initiatives that improve access to services of general economic interest, promote fair and dignified working conditions, and actively combat discrimination. Training activities, workshops, and public talks further support residents in gaining autonomy and collective awareness of their rights.
Urban commons are central to this approach. Through collective self-organisation, shared resources, and community support networks, the Güell Community functions as a shared civic space where organisations, informal groups, initiatives, and public authorities collaborate to co-create inclusive economic activities based on mutual aid, self-provision of services, and social justice.
