Throughout urban history, the construction, expansion, relocation or renovation of hospital facilities have marked key moments in the social and spatial configuration of the city. Their presence has an impact that extends far beyond the healthcare field – hospitals are spaces for research and teaching, economic drivers and agents of territorial transformation.

Moreover, these centres also act as catalysts for the entrepreneurial ecosystem related to science and technology in fields such as health sciences, biomedicine and the pharmaceutical industry, strengthening Barcelona and the surrounding area as one of the leading hubs in Southern Europe in these sectors.

These sessions aim to create a space for reflection and dialogue between the various stakeholders – architecture, urban planning and healthcare professionals, researchers and citizens – to collectively rethink the role of hospitals in the city of today and tomorrow.

4:30 PM
Institutional Welcome by:
Marta Villanueva, Councillor for Health, People with Disabilities, and Strategy Against Loneliness, Barcelona City Council
Welcome: Dr. Begoña Benito, Director of VHIR.

4:45 – 5:30 PM
Session 1. Presentation:
Planning of healthcare facilities in the city of Barcelona.
David Martínez, Manager of Urban Planning, Barcelona City Council.

5:30 – 6:30 PM
Session 2. Dialogue on the relationship between healthcare facilities and the city.
Maria Buhigas, Chief Architect, Barcelona City Council
Mònica Almiñana, Manager of the Barcelona Health Consortium

Moderator: Elena Amat, Director of Metropolitan Coordination and Major Urban Transformations, Barcelona City Council

6:30 – 7:30 PM
Session 3. The new Vall d’Hebron: Impact on the city and its citizens.
Dr. Albert Salazar Soler, Manager of Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Barcelona

7:30 PM
Closing remarks by Laia Bonet, First Deputy Mayor. Area of Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing.

Day 2. Morning