“I am an urban inspector”: The Galician way of making kids notice the city they live in

An appreciation for the built environment stems from knowing it better

The regional government of Galicia (Spain) announced the start of the third edition of the “Yo soy inspector@ urbanístic@” (in English: “I am an urban inspector”) educational initiative. It is organized in conjunction with the College of Galician Architects (COAG) and aims to foster the knowledge and appreciation among school students of the urban environments they find themselves living in.

A total of 80 students from the secondary school in the town of Ponte Caldelas were the first to participate this year in the activity. It consists of inspectors from the Agency for the Protection of Urban Legality (APLU) visiting schools throughout Galicia, between now and the end of June, and teaching the importance of urban heritage and architecture in an accessible and fun way.

Learning what responsible urbanism is

Using specific didactic material, the participating students will work in a creative and fun way in the classroom on the complexity of the territory and the landscape environment, analyzing the elements that compose them.

They will also delve into concepts such as the natural and built heritage, infrastructure, the environment, climate change, the ecological footprint or the activities and constructions on the local territory.

The idea is that the youngsters will internalize the importance of these issues as they pertain to their towns and feel informed about them. This education will thus provide a fundamental link for present and future societies to make sustainable and responsible use of the inhabited territories.

The proposed activities are directed by urban planning inspectors, who develop face-to-face sessions in the participating centres adapted to the levels and ages of the infant, primary and secondary students through theatrical workshops and theoretical-practical sessions.

This year the activity mentors will visit 20 schools in as many towns across Galicia.