Santander, the capital of Cantabria with 172,000 inhabitants, began revising its General Spatial Plan from 1997 in 2020. This revision reflects the city’s short- and long-term vision aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to shape the future of Santander with and for its residents.

The participatory process has three key objectives: First to inform citizens, providing them with a clear understanding of the plan’s decisions and the process involved. Second to engage a large, diverse group of citizens, ensuring genuine and effective participation. And third to develop a high-quality spatial plan built on consensus through the exchange of diverse perspectives.

Participation was implemented through various face-to-face and digital channels, including online consultations, neighborhood meetings, sector-focused discussions, child and youth forums, and urban walks with the technical team. A total of 1951 people took part, with 984 participating digitally and the rest through in-person events.

In the final phase of evaluation and feedback, the input from this participatory process was incorporated into the guidelines and strategic directions for the revision of the General Spatial Plan.