El oficio de la resistencia. Salvem y Viu al Cabanyal como formas de contención del urbanismo neoliberal

Abstract

This article puts the spotlight on the resistance being displayed in the face of the expropriation and gentrification process currently affecting Valencia's Cabanyal district (Spain). El Cabanyal is a district that has been left to the whim of town planners wielding megaproject/events cloaked in high-sounding rhetoric proclaiming excellence and competiveness. Specifically, we shall be looking closely at «Salvem el Cabanyal» as a response to the execution of the new Town Planning Plan, and «Viu al Cabanyal» as a means of putting a halt to progressive degradation. Salvem, a platform comprising several different entities, enjoys the support of an array of political, academic and social groupings at the local, national and international levels. This movement tables both classic demands (legal and administrative) and newer, more creative and imaginative ones loaded with symbolic content. Viu, for its part, sets out to inject dynamism into the district by attracting new residents, particularly young people. The fact that these efforts are scoring considerable success reflects the vitality and ability to come up with alternatives being displayed by the local residents.