Contested Territories advanced beyond the state of the art by combining critical territorial theory with participatory, artistic and decolonial research practices. It produced an original conceptual vocabulary, especially through the notion of territorial accumulation and the emphasis on otros saberes, while also broadening the methodological repertoire of territorial research through audiovisual, cartographic, performative and community-based approaches. In doing so, the project challenged conventional distinctions between researchers and researched, and opened new ways of understanding how knowledge is co-produced in contested territories.
The project also generated clear societal impacts. One important example is the international Tenant Survey, implemented in cities including Manchester, Madrid, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Karlsruhe and Leipzig. Developed in close dialogue with social organisations and activists, the survey produced much-needed evidence on rental markets and their territorial consequences from a participatory-activist perspective. In cities such as Buenos Aires and Barcelona, the dissemination of the findings contributed to public debate and helped challenge dominant assumptions during politically sensitive discussions on housing regulation and the right to housing.
A second example is the documentary trilogy on water, including the feature film LA CUENCA (Chile), the short film TIGRE ES YAGUARETÉ (Argentina), and the series UMA UÑJIRINAKA / CUIDADORXS DEL AGUA (Bolivia). Co-produced through participatory and experimental methodologies, these audiovisual works documented the knowledge and struggles of Mapuche, Aymara, Querandí and Kichwa communities in relation to water contamination, territorial conflict and environmental justice. The trilogy became an effective tool for public awareness, policy visibility and community advocacy, and was screened at around 18 film festivals in Latin America and Europe, receiving awards in Chile and Mexico in 2024.
Overall, the project’s impacts extend beyond its formal duration. It consolidated a durable Europe–Latin America network, generated transferable methodologies, strengthened the visibility of community-based territorial alternatives, and produced results that remain relevant for future research, teaching, policy debates and public engagement. Its wider societal contribution lies in demonstrating that more inclusive and sustainable territorial futures require not only new policies, but also new forms of collaborative knowledge production grounded in justice, reciprocity and the lived experiences of affected communities.
