Cities are constantly changing. Their buildings, streets and public spaces change, as does the way we move around them. These changes are part of history and leave visible traces on the urban landscape.

In this workshop, designed by the education team of LABoral in collaboration with Andrea Macho Álvarez, we propose an active and critical look at the city of Gijón, to discover how it has evolved over time and reflect on which transformations have been most significant and how they affect us today.

The activity begins with an examination of the 1899 map of Gijón and a comparison with the current map. Based on this initial overview, the group analyses the differences between the two maps and identifies what they consider to be the main changes in the city’s structure. Afterwards, the students become ‘time detectives’. Using a selection of historical and contemporary photographs, they must investigate what the city was like in the past and which aspects have changed.

The workshop concludes with a group discussion and an analysis of the conclusions drawn from the questions on the worksheet. This session provides an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the changes observed, assess their implications and discuss the kind of city we want in the future.

This workshop is part of the exhibition The city we are.

For further information and timetables, please visit info@laboralcentrodearte.org or call 985 18 55 77.