The reform of the Jardí del Silenci sparks a dispute in Gràcia between its caretakers and families from Teixidores

The emblematic Jardí del Silenci in Gràcia is going through tense days. A refurbishment project promoted by families from Teixidores school divides those who manage this green oasis. The City Council already has a preliminary project on the table. The debate over the use of the space is intensifying.

Jardí del Silenci, one of Gràcia’s most highly valued corners, has become the epicentre of a conflict affecting both those who have cared for it for more than a decade and the families from Teixidores school, located directly opposite. The refurbishment proposal, which includes a new children’s area and a reorganisation of the space, has caused concern among the volunteers of Salvem el Jardí 2014, the organisation that has protected this garden since 2014.

The initiative, promoted by the Teixidores Association of Families of Pupils and backed by more than a thousand votes on the decidim.barcelona platform, has a budget of 500,000 euros and City Council support. The preliminary project proposes moving the vegetable garden, creating a multipurpose area and sacrificing part of the space where cacti and succulents currently grow, some of them with decades of history. For members of Salvem el Jardí 2014, these changes pose a direct threat to the essence and balance of the space.

This weekend, Jardí del Silenci is beating more strongly than ever. The volunteers who have cared for every cactus and every seed for twelve years feel that their work may vanish beneath the weight of a project which, although well intentioned, threatens the very soul of the place. Opposite them, Teixidores families dream of a corner for their children. Between green flags and proposals for consensus, Gràcia holds its breath: will the silence of this garden survive the noise of the city?

Tension has risen following the presentation of the preliminary project to both sides in separate meetings. The next meeting, planned with the Gràcia district, is expected to be difficult. The volunteers fear that the refurbishment will endanger the annual agreement that allows them to manage the garden, and say that the City Council has made its renewal conditional on acceptance of the new plan. They recall that, twelve years ago, neighbourhood action saved this land from property speculation, and that every corner of the garden holds special meaning for the neighbourhood.

The Teixidores AFA argues that the redesign seeks to open the space to the entire neighbourhood, especially children, and says that the project respects the garden’s green character. It insists that it has not questioned Salvem el Jardí 2014 continuing to care for the space, although it acknowledges that the refurbishment will involve significant changes to its use and layout.

The debate not only sets two groups against each other; it has also mobilised other educational centres that use the garden at rotating times. Meanwhile, Salvem el Jardí 2014 volunteers are preparing meetings with their more than 800 members to decide how to respond to the imminent transformation. The sense that the municipal project will go ahead, albeit with possible adjustments, weighs on those who have devoted years to preserving this urban oasis.

Jardí del Silenci is not just a green space; it is a symbol of neighbourhood resistance in Gràcia. Its history is marked by collective defence against the construction of homes and car parks on the plot formerly occupied by a convent. Every plant, every corner, has been cared for by volunteers who have turned the garden into a refuge for the neighbourhood. The current controversy highlights the complexity of managing shared urban spaces and the value citizens attach to their green heritage.