On Sunday 16 December, the first edition of Dia de la Riera, or “Stream Day”, a recreational event open to the public, the aim of which is to enhance social awareness about the natural and cultural value of the Caldes Stream, took place in the town of Palau-solità i Plegamans. The schedule of events included a series of workshops on the flora and fauna of the Caldes Stream. Participants also hiked a stretch of the stream and were treated to several photo exhibitions and refreshments consisting of seasonal fruit. 

According to Marta Benages, a lecturer in the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, “popular events like this usually concentrate their efforts into one single activity. Right from the start we knew we wanted to organise a small environmental fair aimed at improving the surrounding area. The initiative was a success, and an edition will be held annually”. 

Dia de la Riera is the first in a line of activities intended to promote the group Viu la Riera!, a collective made up of residents from the four towns through which the stream passes and who, through a participatory process, have sought to emphasise the area’s ecological and scenic potential and ensure its preservation. This process, carried out in 2016 and 2017, was led by researchers from the Area of Urbanism and Cooperation at the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, together with researchers from the University of Girona's Institute of the Environment. The project was funded by RecerCaixa, a programme of the Obra Social "la Caixa", and supported by the Catalan Association of Public Universities and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology.

Exactly one year ago, representatives from the towns of Caldes de Montbui, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Palau-solità i Plegamans and La Llagosta brought the participatory process to an end and reaffirmed their political commitment to the project by launching initiatives such as the one held last Sunday.