SoA faculty member Rafael de Balanzó Joue, who teaches in the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, has been selected to participate in the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, under the theme “Architectures for a Planet in Transition,” as Barcelona was named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2026. His project, “Resilience Thinking Walkshop Transdisciplinary Toolkit,” has been accepted for publication, exhibition, and presentation, marking a significant recognition of his engagement with sustainability and transdisciplinary approaches to architecture and urbanism.
Organized by the Catalan Architects Association, the exhibition will take place at MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona throughout June and July 2026. Titled “Collserola Resilience Thinking Walkshop: The Paths of Water,” his research proposes a new way of understanding the relationship between Barcelona and the Collserola mountain range by foregrounding the role of water within the EINA Colserola Public Sphere Living Lab program. The project highlights how Barcelona’s watershed, intrinsically linked to the Collserola hills, has shaped both landscape and urban development, opening new perspectives for territorial management through a resilience thinking approach.
In collaboration with the SITESIZE art collective, artist Catie de Balmann, and urbanist Francesc Magrinyà, de Balanzó Joue developed this initiative through “walkshops,” combining walking and workshop methodologies. Through itineraries, the pedagogical toolkit brings together scientific knowledge, artistic social practices, and collective reflection, positioning walking as a socio-educational tool that fosters critical thinking, cooperation, and environmental awareness, while deepening understanding of the complex interdependencies between city and nature.
This paper will also be presented at the 12th International Conference on Higher Education Advances.