Errekaleor is a self-managed neighborhood on the outskirts of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, formed after residents and activists occupied an abandoned public housing complex in 2013. The community operates through direct democracy, collective assemblies, and shared responsibility for housing, energy, and social life, functioning largely outside state governance structures.
| Creation date | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Commons, Democracy, Land Use, Social justice |
| Context | Urban |
| Typology | Community Organizing |
| Languages | Basque |
| Thematics | Radical Democracy |
Governance in Errekaleor is based on a general assembly that serves as the highest decision-making body, complemented by working groups responsible for housing maintenance, food systems, energy, and relations with the surrounding city. Decisions are taken collectively, prioritizing consensus and direct participation rather than delegation or representation.
Errekaleor emerged in response to housing abandonment, youth precarity, and speculative urban policy. The occupied neighborhood was transformed into a livable community through collective labor, self-built infrastructure, and mutual aid. Notably, Errekaleor developed its own off-grid solar energy system after being cut off from the municipal grid, reinforcing material autonomy.
The project has faced continuous pressure from authorities, including evictions and criminalization, yet it remains active due to strong internal cohesion and external solidarity. Errekaleor is often cited as a contemporary example of urban self-governance and commons-based living in Southern Europe (Errekaleor official site; OpenDemocracy on Errekaleor).