Over 25 years ago, Bilbao began a major shift, moving from a declining industrial centre to a leading cultural, tourist, and economic destination. The city is a global example of urban transformation, with the iconic Guggenheim Museum symbolising this change.
Not only that but Bilbao’s transformation is led by social innovation and citizen engagement as key elements of its development. Through close collaboration with private institutions, the municipality shows that a sustainable and fair future lies in the hands of its people.
A Council that puts residents in the centre
Citizen engagement is not only a goal but an active practice driving urban development. For several years now, Bilbao has launched numerous initiatives that invite residents to get directly involved in decisions that affect their surroundings.
For instance, participatory budgeting is a mechanism that allows residents to propose projects they believe are important for the city. The Council’s technical team assesses those ideas citizens can submit and, finally, put them into a public vote. This transparent process ensures also that municipal funds are allocated to projects that truly meet the community’s needs.
“This year, with the new Children’s Council, we have involved young children in presenting their proposals, and these have been included in the participatory budget,” shares Eider Inunciaga, Bilbao City Councillor. “Initiatives like this one show our commitment to including all sectors of society in the decision-making process.”
A social innovation lab in the heart of Bilbao
But social innovation is also driven through collaboration across sectors. The joint efforts of the City Council and the BBK Foundation show how public-private partnerships can create innovative projects that go beyond traditional boundaries. One of the most notable examples of this public-private collaboration is BBK Kuna, the House of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Located in Old Bilbao, a key neighbourhood of the city, BBK Kuna is a social innovation lab designed to activate the SDGs and encourage citizen participation.
BBK Kuna was established with a clear mission, “To be a space for imagining and designing future solutions framed by the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda,” explains Kristian Prieto, Director of BBK Kuna. Since its launch in 2021, it has become a reference point for creating spaces for debate, consultation, and co-creation of solutions that positively impact the lives of Bilbao’s citizens.
For example, one of the most notable initiatives is the establishment of the Neighbourhood Advisory Council, a consultative body made up of around 20 residents who have actively participated in decision-making concerning the use of public spaces.
Thanks to this council, projects such as the renovation of an unused dock and the creation of an artistic mural that reflects the neighbourhood’s identity have been launched, demonstrating that well-managed citizen participation can have a direct and tangible impact on urban quality of life.
Public-private cooperation as the key to success
The synergy of cooperation between the public and private sectors allows for the creation of projects that not only address the needs of citizens but also adapt to current challenges more swiftly and effectively.
According to Prieto, the relationship between the BBK Foundation and Bilbao City Council is characterised as “honest, sincere, and complementary.” Such interaction is fundamental for creating an environment where new ideas and approaches can be tested.
The BBK Foundation acts as an agent of change in social innovation, helping the City Council of Bilbao not only manage but also promote innovation in the city. “BBK Kuna is a driving force in the field of social innovation in Bilbao, and the goal of the City Council is to boost the entire innovation ecosystem in the city,” explains Inunciaga. This collaborative approach enables ideas and projects to develop in a more dynamic environment, where the agility of the private sector complements the public sector.
The fact that the BBK Foundation has “enough agility to assist the city” allows projects to be addressed with speed and flexibility that the public sector often cannot achieve alone. “Innovation in methodological terms is something that I have brought along,” says Inunciaga, who was Director of the House of SDGs before working at the City Council. “There are many lessons learned and innovative practices in the private sector that can be effectively applied in public management.”
Furthermore, public-private cooperation paves the way for creating spaces where solutions are co-created among different societal actors. For instance, the creation of a climate shelter is a project developed collaboratively, “with the expert vision of the technical experts from Bilbao City Council, promoting active citizen participation through the Neighbourhood Advisory Council, and for the benefit of the local residents.”
Social innovation for the future of Bilbao
Bilbao aims to become a large ‘urban laboratory’ where innovative solutions developed in collaboration with institutions, businesses, and citizens are integrated into residents’ daily lives.
“We envision the future of Bilbao as a city where social innovation is a fundamental part of everyday life, a space where citizens, universities, businesses, and institutions work together to tackle the city’s challenges,” comments Inunciaga. This approach ensures that ideas developed in academic or private settings can be tested and refined in the streets of Bilbao, directly benefiting its population.
At the heart of Bilbao City Council’s vision for the future are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda is deeply integrated into the city’s public policies, with every social innovation and citizen participation project aligned with these global goals.
To achieve the sustainable goals, an action plan raises awareness among citizens, empowering both the public and private sectors, and generating sustainable investments that position the city as an international leader in sustainability.
“We want Bilbao to be a global example, a city that attracts sustainable investments and is recognised for its good practices in social innovation,” states the city councillor. Bilbao is transforming the concept of social innovation and citizen participation, demonstrating that when public institutions, businesses, and citizens work together, it is possible to build more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities. Bilbao is not just managing the present; it is designing the future, and that future is full of opportunities for its citizens.
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Bilbao will host the next Eurocities Economic Development Forum, ‘Cities in transition: towards a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous future’, on 22-25 October 2024. Full programme and registrations are available here.
