Description
The project CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS ON STREETS–THE ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD aims to encourage the active involvement of the ,,forgotten” population living on the streets with houses, to solve the housing and neighborhood issues in cooperation or with the support of the responsible actors. OBJECTIVES:1-Organize the citizen civic involvement process by establishing the Street Civic Associations, 2-Organize the good neighborhood actions based on citizens’ proposals and 3-Street animation by cultural events and improvement of municipal facilities. RESULTS:12 Street Civic Associations established in 7 communities (4 urban, 3 rural), at least 120 persons empowered and committed to act in support of active neighborhood and 12 ,,learning by doing interventions" run by the associations to solve each street specific problems. The Street Civic Associations represent the organized and effective citizen way of action and stand as a living example to disseminating the practice to other streets/communities
Summary of project results
A Street Civic Association is a civic initiative group that represents the interest of the citizens that live in the houses of one street. These civic groups are needed because citizens from streets with houses do not benefit of the associative form that the citizens living in blocks of flats benefit of. The project “Street Civic Associations – The Active Neighbourhood” helped setting up 12 Street Civic Associations (SCA) on 12 streets with houses of 7 localities (4 urban and 3 rural) in Brasov county, with a target population of 4514 inhabitants. In the 12 active Street Civic Associations 111 people are constantly working for their neighbourhood and a group of 23 citizens with diverse expertise provide voluntary support for setting up new SCA and solving neighbourhood concerns. SCA members participated in 2 public consultations on spatial planning of Graft channel and Brasov budget for 2015 and in 5 public meetings on topics proposed by SCA: façade rehabilitation and parking regulations for Historical Centre, improve water/sewer service, modernization of public lighting, citizens’ security on public space. SCA promoted individual water metering by amending the Water Company Regulation, adopted by the Municipality in October 2015. SCA operated in 48 regular meetings, have working procedures (12 action plans) and promoted 8 individual and group initiatives. The “power of example’’ interventions developed within the project stimulated citizens' participation in improving the living conditions. After identifying each SCA needs, some interventions were done on each street involved in the project. These interventions were implemented by the project team with 12 volunteers trained in the project and 23 volunteer members of SCA. They repaired fences, installed custom house number plates, street name history plates, street benches and trash cans, dispensers for animal waste bags, recycling containers, informative street panels, planted trees, replaced lighting etc. PAC - Point for Assistance and Consulting for SCA – was created during the project and it is operated by 4 of the Promoters' members and 23 ACS volunteers. PAC ensures sustainability, providing space for regular meetings, facilitating meetings with stakeholders, promoting and applying SCA initiatives and ensures a dispatcher for SCA's problems in areas with houses.
Summary of bilateral results