{"id":1230,"date":"2026-04-13T21:09:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourban-europe.eu\/?page_id=1230"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:14:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:14:07","slug":"a-letter-for-the-city-reclaiming-urban-spaces-through-rfiber-signage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.yourban-europe.eu\/it\/a-letter-for-the-city-reclaiming-urban-spaces-through-rfiber-signage\/","title":{"rendered":"A Letter for the city. Reclaiming urban spaces through rFiber signage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Project\/Projecte<\/em>\/Proyecto: A Letter for the city
Author\/Autor<\/em>: Vicente Varella Forcada<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Vicente Varella<\/strong> is reclaiming urban narratives through playful signage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e0 recuperant narratives urbanes a trav\u00e9s de senyal\u00e8tica l\u00fadica.<\/em>
Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e1 recuperando narrativas urbanas a trav\u00e9s de se\u00f1al\u00e9tica l\u00fadica.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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KC5DXK A man pushing a trolley of scrap metal walks past a Catalan propaganda poster offering a ‘ future full of opportunities ‘, Barcelona, Spain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Oversized shopping cart signs reclaim Barcelona\u2019s empty spaces, turning them into playful sites for public dialogue on waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ENG<\/strong>
According to research by the Barcelona Research Group on Informal Waste Picking from the Universitat de Barcelona, up to 40% of total metal scrap flows into the recycling system via individuals who, as a means of living, collect, sort and deliver all sorts of metals to recycling facilities.

The study suggests that, collectively, this workforce of ~2,000 people contributes up to 160 tonnes daily, adding up to a total of 44,500 tonnes per year.

A letter for the city reclaims underused public spaces to draw attention to contexts that often go unnoticed. Placed in unassuming locations, it brings forward realities that might otherwise remain overlooked.

Fences, construction sites and abandoned lots become an unexpected canvas for passersby to reflect on the topic.

By translating data into physical, visually engaging interventions, the project turns abstract figures into something tangible, reconnecting the information with the urban context it originates from and making it accessible to those who inhabit it.

To support this translation, a strong visual language was developed, where clarity and contrast play a central role. A combination of freehand drawing and CNC carving allows the message to emerge directly from the material, reinforcing its presence in the public space

The outcome presents a dynamic surface that reveals rich stone-like textures alongside the recycled materiality of glass fiber embedded in resin, visually linking the message to the very matter it speaks about.

Ultimately, the project invites a reconsideration of what remains hidden in plain sight, foregrounding the often unrecognized systems and people that quietly sustain the city\u2019s material cycles.

*Original study: WasteCare, Universitat de Barcelona
**Final data sourced by the Barcelona Research Group on Informal Waste Picking
***Researchers: Daniele Vico, Federico Demaria, Juli\u00e1n Porras Bulla, Claudio Cattaneo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAT<\/strong>
Segons la recerca del Grup de Recerca sobre Recollida Informal de Residus de la\u00a0Universitat de Barcelona, fins al 40% del flux total de ferralla met\u00e0l\u00b7lica entra al sistema de reciclatge a trav\u00e9s de persones que, com a mitj\u00e0 de vida, recullen, classifiquen i lliuren tot tipus de metalls a instal\u00b7lacions de reciclatge.

L\u2019estudi suggereix que, col\u00b7lectivament, aquesta for\u00e7a de treball d\u2019unes ~2.000 persones contribueix amb fins a 160 tones di\u00e0ries, sumant un total de 44.500 tones anuals.

Una lletra per a la ciutat recupera espais p\u00fablics infrautilitzats per cridar l\u2019atenci\u00f3 sobre contextos que sovint passen desapercebuts. Situada en llocs discrets, fa visibles realitats que, d\u2019altra manera, podrien quedar ocultes.

Tanques, obres i solars abandonats esdevenen un llen\u00e7 inesperat perqu\u00e8 els vianants reflexionin sobre la tem\u00e0tica.

Mitjan\u00e7ant la traducci\u00f3 de dades en intervencions f\u00edsiques i visualment atractives, el projecte transforma xifres abstractes en quelcom tangible, reconnectant la informaci\u00f3 amb el context urb\u00e0 d\u2019on prov\u00e9 i fent-la accessible a qui l\u2019habita.

Per donar suport a aquesta traducci\u00f3, es va desenvolupar un llenguatge visual potent, on la claredat i el contrast tenen un paper central. La combinaci\u00f3 de dibuix a m\u00e0 al\u00e7ada i fresat CNC permet que el missatge emergeixi directament del material, refor\u00e7ant la seva pres\u00e8ncia a l\u2019espai p\u00fablic.

El resultat presenta una superf\u00edcie din\u00e0mica que revela textures riques, semblants a la pedra, juntament amb la materialitat reciclada de fibra de vidre incrustada en resina, vinculant visualment el missatge amb la mateixa mat\u00e8ria de qu\u00e8 parla.

En \u00faltima inst\u00e0ncia, el projecte convida a reconsiderar all\u00f2 que roman ocult a simple vista, posant en primer pla els sistemes i les persones sovint no reconegudes que sostenen, silenciosament, els cicles materials de la ciutat.

*Estudi original: WasteCare, Universitat de Barcelona
**Dades finals facilitades pel Grup de Recerca sobre Recollida Informal de Residus de Barcelona
***Investigadors:\u00a0Daniele Vico,\u00a0Federico Demaria,\u00a0Juli\u00e1n Porras Bulla,\u00a0Claudio Cattaneo<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ESP<\/strong>
Seg\u00fan la investigaci\u00f3n del Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n sobre Recogida Informal de Residuos de la\u00a0Universitat de Barcelona, hasta el 40% del flujo total de chatarra met\u00e1lica entra en el sistema de reciclaje a trav\u00e9s de personas que, como medio de vida, recogen, clasifican y entregan todo tipo de metales a instalaciones de reciclaje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El estudio sugiere que, en conjunto, esta fuerza laboral de unas ~2.000 personas contribuye con hasta 160 toneladas diarias, sumando un total de 44.500 toneladas al a\u00f1o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Una letra para la ciudad recupera espacios p\u00fablicos infrautilizados para llamar la atenci\u00f3n sobre contextos que a menudo pasan desapercibidos. Situada en lugares discretos, pone en primer plano realidades que de otro modo podr\u00edan permanecer ocultas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vallas, obras y solares abandonados se convierten en un lienzo inesperado para que los transe\u00fantes reflexionen sobre el tema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al traducir datos en intervenciones f\u00edsicas y visualmente atractivas, el proyecto transforma cifras abstractas en algo tangible, reconectando la informaci\u00f3n con el contexto urbano del que proviene y haci\u00e9ndola accesible para quienes lo habitan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Para apoyar esta traducci\u00f3n, se desarroll\u00f3 un lenguaje visual s\u00f3lido, donde la claridad y el contraste desempe\u00f1an un papel central. La combinaci\u00f3n de dibujo a mano alzada y fresado CNC permite que el mensaje emerja directamente del material, reforzando su presencia en el espacio p\u00fablico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El resultado presenta una superficie din\u00e1mica que revela ricas texturas similares a la piedra junto con la materialidad reciclada de fibra de vidrio incrustada en resina, vinculando visualmente el mensaje con la propia materia de la que habla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En \u00faltima instancia, el proyecto invita a reconsiderar lo que permanece oculto a simple vista, poniendo en primer plano los sistemas y las personas, a menudo no reconocidos, que sostienen silenciosamente los ciclos materiales de la ciudad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Estudio original: WasteCare, Universitat de Barcelona
**Datos finales proporcionados por el Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n sobre Recogida Informal de Residuos de Barcelona
***Investigadores: Daniele Vico, Federico Demaria, Juli\u00e1n Porras Bulla, Claudio Cattaneo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Project\/Projecte\/Proyecto: A Letter for the cityAuthor\/Autor: Vicente Varella Forcada Vicente Varella is reclaiming urban narratives through playful signage. Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e0 recuperant narratives urbanes a trav\u00e9s de senyal\u00e8tica l\u00fadica.Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e1 recuperando narrativas urbanas a trav\u00e9s de se\u00f1al\u00e9tica l\u00fadica. Oversized shopping cart signs reclaim Barcelona\u2019s empty spaces, turning them into playful sites for public dialogue on waste. ENGAccording […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1230","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nA Letter for the city. Reclaiming urban spaces through rFiber signage - YouRban<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourban-europe.eu\/it\/a-letter-for-the-city-reclaiming-urban-spaces-through-rfiber-signage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"it_IT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Letter for the city. Reclaiming urban spaces through rFiber signage - YouRban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Project\/Projecte\/Proyecto: A Letter for the cityAuthor\/Autor: Vicente Varella Forcada Vicente Varella is reclaiming urban narratives through playful signage. Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e0 recuperant narratives urbanes a trav\u00e9s de senyal\u00e8tica l\u00fadica.Vicente Varella\u00a0est\u00e1 recuperando narrativas urbanas a trav\u00e9s de se\u00f1al\u00e9tica l\u00fadica. Oversized shopping cart signs reclaim Barcelona\u2019s empty spaces, turning them into playful sites for public dialogue on waste. 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