‘Small Town, Great Life’, a campaign to rediscover the advantages of living in the small towns of Lleida.
The Lleida Provincial Council is promoting an initiative to promote life in rural municipalities and reverse depopulation with new opportunities to live with greater health, tranquility and community.
The Provincial Council of Lleida today presented the ‘Poble Petit, Gran Vida’ campaign at the Palau Robert in Barcelona; an initiative that aims to show the opportunities and benefits of living in the rural municipalities of the region. This action seeks to combat depopulation and attract urban families to discover the quality of life, tranquility and connection with nature that small towns offer. The event was attended by Agustí Jiménez, first vice-president of the Lleida Provincial Council; deputies Sandra Marco, Fermí Masot, Rosa Pujol, Rosalia Carnicé, Manel Solé, Núria Palau and Elis Colell; and Silvia Paneque, Minister of Territory, Housing and Economic Transition and spokesperson for the Government, among other authorities.
Agustí Jiménez, vice-president of the Lleida Provincial Council, highlighted that “depopulation is one of the most important threats we face, but also an opportunity to transform our towns into more balanced and attractive places”, and stressed the importance of promoting policies that promote housing, employment and talent retention in these areas. “Through measures to promote housing or the hiring of technical personnel, the Provincial Council works to ensure that rural municipalities are attractive to both the local population and new residents.”
For her part, the Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition and spokesperson for the Government has emphasized that “we need to move forward in improving public services and infrastructure to build a balanced country, and we need to insist on it, because when fragmented spaces are generated, cohesion disappears.”
Víctor Peguera, director of the Municipal Planning and Cooperation Area, stressed that living in a town is not a second-rate option, but a choice for a full life. “Living in a town is synonymous with health, freedom and community,” explained Peguera, highlighting that this campaign aims to show how small towns offer a rich life full of possibilities in both the personal and professional spheres.
The campaign presents an emotional and approachable visual style. With testimonies from real people who have decided to settle in small towns, such as mountain runner Núria Picas or mural artist Lily Brick, the aim is to break the stigma that rural life is less attractive than urban life. Other prescribers also participate, such as the director of the Tuixent School, Belén, who left Sant Pere de Ribes a few months ago to live in Vansa and Fórnols, as well as Ricard, an architect who teleworks and is in charge of the urban planning of the REPOBLEM networks.
The event was presented and hosted by Artur Peguera, sports journalist for TV3, and Araceli Segarra, mountaineer and lecturer, known for being the first Spanish woman to summit Everest. Their presence has provided a diverse vision of rural life.
On the other hand, the colloquium was starred by several ambassadors of rurality, such as Mag Lari, who left Barcelona to settle in Castellserà and start a new life project; Joan Bertrand, a 27-year-old farmer from Segrià, who was the image of the Estrella Damm 2023 advertisement, and Andrea Trepat, an actress born in Linyola and with a vision of a rural future; in addition to two of the protagonists of the campaign, Núria Picas and Belén Jaime.
During the closing presentation of the campaign, the Secretary General of the Demographic Challenge Office of the Government of Spain, Paco Boya, highlighted the interest in reversing depopulation situations: “Promoting innovative projects in small towns is one of the keys that must allow us to overcome depopulation, one of the most important challenges we have.”
The municipalities of Lleida, with their natural, cultural and scenic wealth, present themselves as an ideal alternative for those people looking for a change towards a more sustainable and healthy life.
With the slogan ‘Small Town, Great Life’, the Provincial Council of Lleida wants to vindicate the value of rural towns as drivers of well-being and opportunities, and demonstrate that life in these municipalities is not only viable, but also offers a promising future.
Barcelona, October 18, 2024
For more information: www.diputaciolleida.cat
Contact telephone numbers: 973.24.92.00
premsa@diputaciolleida.cat
