Refurbishing ‘Los Limoneros’

Status
completed
100%
City

Malaga

Main actors

City Government, Community / Citizen Group, other

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Duration

2011 - 2014

Los Limoneros is a social housing complex, which thanks to the project has significantly improved its energy rating.

From 2011 to 2014, the city of Malaga carried out the ‘energy efficiency refurbishment through participation' project  to help reduce energy consumption in Los Limoneros. Many residents living in this deprived neighbourhood were primarily opposed to energy efficiency measures, being afraid that it would increase their rents.

Council staff members, acting as liaison officers in the neighbourhood, helped building trust with the residents. From the beginning, the community has been actively involved in the process, and residents could engage in the "Pilot Project Participative Group" to discuss the measures. As a result of these discussions, the city drew up and implemented a detailed energy efficiency plan. An awareness raising campaign and a smart metering campaign helped sharing the message.

Involving the local community in the decision-making process has been a key success factor for the project. City staff managed to really engage with citizens and gain their trust. Throughout the process, the community has developed a sense of ownership and residents could learn new skills.

Originally published by EUROCITIES, the network of 130 European cities - PDF: http://nws.eurocities.eu/MediaShell/media/Citiesinaction_LosLimoneros_Malaga_Feb15.pdf

Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableTake urgent action to combat climate change and its impactsPromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Eurocities Awards

This project was awarded the 'Eurocities Awards' in 2014 in the following category: Participation.

City
Malaga, Spain
Size and population development
According to the 2018 census the city of Málaga has a population of 571,026 and is the sixth largest city in Spain. The city covers a total area of 395 km2 with a population density of 1,445 people per km2. The population has recorded a =.027%/year increase since the 2011 census.
Population composition
The 2018 census data shows that the population comprises 52% females and 48% males. 63.9% of Málaga residents are aged between 15-64, 17.4% are aged 65 or over and 18.38% of residents are children aged 0-17. Country of birth statistics reveal 88.4% of the population are born in Spain, 2% in EU countries and 9.6% in other countries. Most of the population of Málaga identify as Roman Catholics with a small number of Protestants and Jews. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Islam religions are both growing.
Main functions
Málaga city is the capital of Málaga province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The city lies along a wide bay of the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Guadalmedina River in the centre of the Costa del Sol. The city is an important tourist destination and is known as "the capital of the Costa del Sol". An estimated 6 million tourists visited the city in 2018 with most visiting the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga. The city is served by Málaga Costa Del Sol Airport and the Port of Málaga, one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean Sea. The airport is connected to Málaga city and surrounding areas through a transport hub, which includes a bus system with 2 BRT lines and light metro line, suburban trains, high speed trains and highways to the east and west of Spain.
Main industries / business
Málaga is the main economic and financial centre of southern Spain and is the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and technology services, other sectors such as transportation and logistics are beginning to expand.
Sources for city budget
The City of Málaga draws its budget for public expenditure largely from property tax, fees, fines, operating revenues, other taxes and subsides from the Government of Spain.
Political structure
Administrative structure
The governance of Málaga is managed by the City Council, made up of Councillors, elected by popular vote. In the municipal elections, all European Union citizens, regardless of nationality, may vote and stand for office if they reside in the Municipality. The City Council in plenary meeting makes decisions regarding the most important questions that affect the citizenry. It passes the general plans of urban development, and many other regulations, in areas such as taxes, urban policy, etc. The president of the City Council is the Mayor, who is elected by and from the councillors. Mayors organize, suspend and lead the sessions and debates of the plenary and of other municipal organs. The Mayor is the highest representative authority of the municipality and responsible for its government and administration. Málaga has 11 municipal districts.
Website
http://www.malaga.eu/

In the past, attempts to deliver energy efficiency measures in Los Limoneros, such as improving the window insulation, had encountered problems. Without properly engaging residents in the process, they resulted in sabotage and vandalism. As an area that is known for high unemployment, crime, drugs, poverty and illegal activity, energy efficiency was not a top priority for residents. Many were also afraid that such measures would lead to an increase in their rent. The ‘energy efficiency refurbishment through participation’ project, completed in May 2014, was different. It sought to build trust with residents and actively involve them in the process from day one.

The city allocated a specific member of staff to act as a liaison for the project. This allowed the project team to build lasting relationships with the residents and generate mutual respect.

There were two main channels within the participatory process:

The Territorial Management Group (TMG), made up of energy efficiency experts, engineers and architects, tasked with assessing the building’s energy performance and identifying potential improvements.

The Pilot Project Participative Group (PPCG), gathering residents affected by the refurbishment. The city held regular meetings with between 10 and 45 residents each time.

Council staff and property owners attended both groups. Any solutions devised in the TMG were taken to the PPCG for discussion with residents. As a result of these discussions, the city drew up and implemented a detailed energyefficiency plan. Measures included a solar thermal and cogeneration heating system for sanitary water, insulation of the roof and crawl space, thermal wall insulation, and ventilation of the central patio by opening the skylight. Residents have since been invited to workshops on the heating system and how to maintain it.

The project in Los Limoneros was complemented by two broader initiatives: an awareness raising campaign, and a smart metering campaign. These targeted a number of different neighbourhoods and informed residents about how to save energy and reduce costs.

The awareness raising campaign included using soluble graffiti to spread energy efficiency messages and engage young people; distributing information and giving expert advice; and the use of a cartoon character, the lightbulb ‘Gastón’, as a creative way of sharing the message. This campaign reached 14,439 people directly and a further 23,102 indirectly.

The smart metering campaign involved installing 45 smart meters in social housing in various neighbourhoods, including 20 meters in Los Limoneros. This allows residents to directly monitor their consumption, and identify when and how they are using energy. Council staff meet regularly with residents to advise them on reducing consumption and saving money, and many have already noticed a difference.

Los Limoneros was a pilot project carried out under the ELIH MED (Energy Efficiency in Low Income Housing in the Mediterranean) project, and was 75% funded under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The remaining 25% was made up of local funds.

The initial survey sent to residents on comfort and energy consumption had a 20% response rate. This might not sound like much, but for a community previously so opposed to energy efficiency refurbishment, it showed a growing change in attitude. Four of the residents were even hired to work on the project.

Workshops on the heating system and its maintenance have helped creating a sense of ownership among residents - reducing the risk of vandalism - and let them learn new skills.

Gaining the trust of residents was the biggest success factor in the Los Limoneros energy refurbishment programme.

Sandra Marín Herbert from the Malaga City Council explains: "Engaging the local community has been key to the success of the ELIH MED project. Too often the residents are merely informed of decisions that have already been made. ELIH MED gave us the opportunity to involve these residents in these decisions that directly affect their quality of life."

City staff managed to really engage with citizens through this project. They were surprised by how effective this new way of working could be. By managing to get the president of the residents’ association on side, for example, they were able to gain the trust of many others. The project proved that by connecting with people on a personal level and gaining their trust, a lot can be achieved.

Malaga is keen to build on the success of this approach. It continues to engage residents through workshops and has recently gathered local graffiti artists to paint a mural on the building’s northern facade to promote the energy efficiency message. This was also carried out with the involvement of residents, and forms part of a wider plan that will be implemented together with the Municipal Housing Institute (IMV) to improve the area around Los Limoneros, creating extra services and amenities to make it a nicer place to live.

Cities in action - Energy efficiency through participation, Refurbishing ‘Los Limoneros’ - EUROCITIES, February 2015.

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