Author: OPENACT Architecture Team: Zuhal Kol, Carlos Zarco Sanz, Jose Luis Hidalgo. Type: Competition Location: Reinosa, Spain Budget: 949.302,03 € Period: November 2013 Reflecting the general characteristics of Spain’s industrialization era of late 19th and early 20th century, Reinosa rooted its population growth and drastic urban transformation in the strong industrial activity located adjacent to the city. As a consequence of the industrial restructuring that took place in the 1980s, the city has witnessed significant declining population figures. Demographic change, advanced de-industrialization, the recent financial crisis, and job losses pose specific challenges for a small size city like Reinosa. Witnessing, and most importantly representing all the peaks and valleys of the past socio-economic and cultural transformations of the city, it seems that the Mercado de Abastos almost converted into a common object which reflects and announces the shifts and the changes in Reinosa to its public; therefore, it is inevitable to think that the transformation of this place might also generate a feedback to the city and trigger new socio-economic developments for the future. Connectivity is key to relate this slightly remote region of the country in a new way to the national and global economy. At this point, advanced information technology/broadband offers the chance to reduce some of the disadvantages that come with low population density and distance from cities, without becoming more urban or sacrificing quality of life. It can improve competitiveness by giving local firms direct access to customers and tying them into information about markets, suppliers, technology and government regulations while retaining the youth by introducing this more youth friendly feature as it is based on youth oriented recreation, new technology and able to provide better and variable educational facilities. Therefore, the regional government shall assist local councils to develop information, services, training activities about IT on-line marketing, e-commerce, on-line education and distant-working, and improve community spirit, leadership, and partnerships. . Avoiding the population decline: Economic diversity Aiming to maximize the social benefit of the project by introducing this action model, Mercateca has the immense potential to become a triggering pilot project in Reinosa. Such intervention would be able build a more collaborative framework and lead urban scale effect as this development would require the participation of all kinds of inhabitants of Reinosa. By including a series of diverse programs and activities the project aims to attract various age groups and people, conceive a meeting and melting point for the citizens; thus, trigger collaboration in between experience & technology, past & contemporary, and existing & potential. To inhabit this congestion of program within the boundaries of the limited budget, the project considers the potential of the previous use: Market. Markets are traditionally the most productive and dynamic places in our cities, where the exchange of news, politics and gossip takes place and where people solidify the social ties that are essential to a healthy society. Markets as public space where multiple forms of sociality are enacted, represent a significant public and social space for different groups in the locality as a site for vibrant social encounters, for social inclusion and the care of others. . Therefore, Market as a scheme has the ability to incorporate and unify many different people, as well as many different programmatic units; this scheme can tolerate changes within the years while maintaining the overall organization of its space to generate a collective framework. By mixing all these programs in a market framework, creating strong urban/exterior connections, the place can then assure its endurance (unlike the previous termination), become a generator of activity open to all citizens and trigger new socio-economic and cultural shifts in Reinosa.