# Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability The **Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability** (BCNUEJ) is a dynamic research entity affiliated with the **[[Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)]]** of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. As a consolidated research group recognized by the Catalan Research Agency AGAUR, BCNUEJ focuses on addressing urban environmental and climate justice through innovative research methods. These methods blend participatory research, qualitative data centered around communities, critical spatial mapping, and quantitative and mixed-methods tools, all underpinned by a commitment to decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist scholarship and social change. BCNUEJ's vision is founded on comparative and interdisciplinary scholarship, nurturing new teaching methodologies, and fostering learning within the realms of environmental justice and sustainability in urban settings. The lab, operational since 2016, engages in collaborative research with partners across a wide geographical spectrum, including Spain, the UK, Germany, Finland, Italy, the United States, Canada, Columbia, Ecuador, South Africa, India, and Australia. Their projects span a variety of themes such as community mobilization for neighborhood clean-up, initiatives towards low-carbon economies in cities like Barcelona and Rome, sustainable slum upgrading, and equitable land use planning for climate adaptation. Research at BCNUEJ is organized into several areas, including urban environment, health and equity; global urban environments; and new methodologies for urban environmental studies. These areas explore urban health disparities, the impact of financialization on local environments, and the development of spatial analytic tools for environmental justice studies. One of the notable initiatives highlighted by BCNUEJ is their **StoryMaps** collection, which critically maps environmental justice struggles in Barcelona and beyond. This tool documents grassroots efforts and community mobilization, reflecting on the city's history of activism and the ongoing challenges of creating an inclusive and green urban environment. Additionally, the Climate Refuges project in La Prosperitat neighborhood of Barcelona exemplifies BCNUEJ's approach to integrating community care into climate emergency actions. This project aims to create a network of refuges providing shelter during heatwaves, thereby facilitating caregiving activities and promoting intersectional feminist community participation. The alignment of BCNUEJ's work with ReFi (Regenerative Finance) principles is evident in their focus on community-centered approaches, participatory research, and the aim to achieve urban environmental justice. By addressing social and ecological injustices through their research and initiatives, BCNUEJ contributes to the broader goals of regenerative finance by fostering equitable and sustainable urban development. ## References [https://www.bcnuej.org/about/](https://www.bcnuej.org/about/) [https://www.bcnuej.org/vision/](https://www.bcnuej.org/vision/) [https://www.bcnuej.org/research-areas/](https://www.bcnuej.org/research-areas/) [https://www.bcnuej.org/storymaps/](https://www.bcnuej.org/storymaps/) [https://www.bcnuej.org/2021/10/26/storymaps-highlight-environmental-justice-struggles-in-barcelona/](https://www.bcnuej.org/2021/10/26/storymaps-highlight-environmental-justice-struggles-in-barcelona/) [https://www.bcnuej.org/projects/climate-refuges/](https://www.bcnuej.org/projects/climate-refuges/)