Description
The project is the initiative of the Komunitas Association, an NGO's specialized in applied social studies, non formal education and community development. The problems: a low quality of public spaces; citizens lack of responsibility towards their own city; civic passivity of younger generations and indifference towards their own city; lack of urban education in schools and high schools. The project is proposing an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, working on several complementary levels that include the following types of activities: an urban sociology-anthropologic research meant to investigate the practices of using the public spaces in 3 districts of Bucharest; dissemination and public discussion of the research results; activities of civic education and urban pedagogy organized for children and teenagers; activities to animate and activate the urban spaces (urban interventions); community events for community cohesion; urban thematic festivals; elaboration of publications that could be resources of information and know-how on interdisciplinary methods used within the project and on the possibility to replicate these methods.
Summary of project results
The project created a preceding example of good practices in the areas of urban education and activation of urban spaces. It was a pioneer project developed in 3 districts of Bucharest, which combined multiple work methods: urban and anthropological research (in order to identify the needs and problems of each district), urban education with the children living in those districts, community events and creating new public spaces as empowering ways of urban activation. The project tested and experimented various ways of action, thus laying the foundations for future similar initiatives. The project’s main objectives were to stimulate active citizenship, to contribute to community development through activating urban spaces located in 3 districts in Bucharest, to create an authentic culture of the public space, to train young people to become responsible citizens, to create public debate through dissemination of the results. All these objectives were reached at a high extent. The impact can be identified at multiple levels: impact upon the youngsters involved, who became more responsible and conscious towards the urban environment; impact upon the communities which benefited from all the Promoter’ street events and urban interventions – they were exposed to positive action and new possibilities of using the urban places they live in; impact towards the general public – they can access for free the various valuable resources generated by the project; impact towards all the organisations involved in the project – they grew, learnt new lessons and reached a bigger level of organisational development. The project had rich and various outputs and outcomes: 105 young people trained in urban pedagogy methods; 100 urban education workshops; 1 urban research that investigated various urban issues and resources in 3 districts of Bucharest; 4 dissemination and information events; 2 improved public spaces; 1 book on urban activation issues; 1 documentary film; 4 community events; a few thousands indirect beneficiaries; new partnerships developed within the project; gained knowledge and development of new social skills by young people involved in the project - a social capital with potential to be developed in the future. A detailed presentation of the project can be watched in their documentary film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7539khY4JpE.
Summary of bilateral results