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Description
Zatorze is one of the oldest and poorest neighborhoods in Olsztyn. According to some statistics it has the highest population density in the entire city, while its citizens face poverty and the danger of social exclusion, poor living standards, and a small number of common, public areas. The neighborhood lacks regular events and social activities, as well as means of becoming involved with the decision-making process for Zatorze district. To get a clearer picture of the problem we conducted interviews with the inhabitants, activists, Neighborhood Councils and the local government. We are responding to Zatorze’s problems by piloting a program for grassroots Neighborhood Self-governance. It’s an innovative and participatory method that assumes involving citizens, supporting local initiatives, creating a Neighborhood Bureau, and organizing regular consultation meetings with all the stakeholders. We will compose a social diagnosis that will help design the Neighborhood Bureau’s offer. We will also create a position of the neighborhood manager, an individual responsible for organizing meetings, surveys and coordinating animation initiatives and mini competitions on local initiatives. Together with the volunteers we will turn the Bureau into a meeting space for all the people of Zatorze, local organizations and the local government. Olsztyn Municipality is our partner. The government expressed interest in searching for solutions to existing problems. This collaboration will help make our solutions more comprehensive and long-lasting.
Summary of project results
Zatorze is one of the oldest and poorest districts of Olsztyn. According to statistics it has the highest population density in the city, but at the same time, its residents face numerous problems, such as poverty or the risk of social exclusion, poor condition of buildings they live in, or small number of meeting points for residents. There are no regular social initiatives and forms that could involve the district inhabitants in the process of making decisions on the development of Zatorze. To conduct a more detailed diagnosis, we organised a research and talked to residents, activists, representatives of resident councils, and local authorities.We reacted to the above Zatorze problem by running a pilot of the grassroot district management method project. It is an innovative and participatory method that consists in engaging inhabitants in the life of their district. We organised four conferences devoted to district development, attended by municipal councillors, representatives of the City Hall, Housing Estate Councils, NGOs, housing and tenant associations, as well as city inhabitants. Based on knowledge gathered, we developed the District Office offer. We appointed an office manager who planned and organised district meetings, run surveys among residents, coordinated activations and supervised mini-competitions on local initiatives. We supported Zatorze inhabitants in organising three grassroot initiatives, we prepared three resolution drafts/recommendations for district development plans, and we submitted comments on four proposed legal acts. Furthermore, we co-organised nine events integrating the local community. We also supported local leaders by offering over two hundred hours of counselling provided by experts in such fields as law, urban planning, communication and social issues related to the functioning of the district.Our project integrated people active in this part of the city, as it was joined by the representatives of Zatorze Housing Estate Council representatives, twelve institutions, NGOs and over one hundred inhabitants. The District Office continues to work, and we plan to popularise the grassroot district management method in other parts of Olsztyn.Gmina Miasto Olsztyn was our partner, promoting the project among inhabitants. Its representatives took part in meetings devoted to the district (e.g., to explain complexities of the functioning of local authorities) and supported us in running the Office.
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