New municipalism as space for solidarity

Abstract

This article considers municipalism as a form of progressive localism, which on the one hand connects the local and the global through translocal solidarity, and on the other scales-up and becomes an alternative way of doing politics beyond the state. The main focus is on citizens' candidatures in Spain, which have not been linked in the traditional way to a national party, and in particular on Barcelona en Comú and Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. It discusses the question of 'everyday sovereignties' - over issues such as control of water supply, energy, housing. These are areas where cities can lead change. It also discusses cities of refuge and Barcelona's Refuge City Plan, which involves civil society in welcoming refugees to the city; and the links made through the mapping of municipalisms in the Atlas of Change and the launch of Fearless Cities.