The Valencian architect and urban activist Carles Dolç has died at the age of 77. Several regional media outlets reported the news on Friday and Saturday. The city of Valencia honoured Dolç in 2015 with the title “Fill Predilecte de la Ciutat de València”. No official information on the circumstances of his death or funeral arrangements was initially available.
Dolç was considered a key figure in the urban citizen movements that helped shape Valencia in the final years of the Franco dictatorship and during the transition to democracy. In the 1970s, he campaigned to protect the Devesa del Saler and against the car-oriented redevelopment of the old riverbed of the Túria. The campaigns helped turn the former riverbed into a continuous green space for the city. Later initiatives such as Salvem el Cabanyal and Salvem el Botànic built on this understanding of the city as a public commons.
Dolç’s profession and activism went hand in hand. As an architect and urban planner, he championed rehabilitation, sensitive renewal and planning that prioritised quality of life, public green space and social concerns. In 2021, he brought together these experiences and the history of local movements in his book Del Saler al Túria In it, he documented how collective resistance changed projects and produced lasting alternatives that shape Valencia today.
Politically, Dolç opposed the Franco regime. He was rooted in the left, belonged to the Moviment Comunista del País Valencià and acted as a bridge between intellectual debate, neighbourhood initiatives and the institutional politics of the young democracy. Those who worked alongside him describe him as a tenacious organiser and mediator who translated specialist knowledge into community-led processes.
During the term of the then mayor Joan Ribó Dolç was named “Fill Predilecte de la Ciutat de València” in 2015—an honour recognising his role as a leading figure in architecture, urban development and civic participation. Obituaries stress that without the movements he helped shape, key spaces in Valencia would look different today.
The city council and family initially made no comment on possible next steps, such as official tributes or a public farewell. Media reports say further information is expected in the coming days.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).