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Description
This project is necessary because the urban development in Šančiai district does not meet the requirement of the Kaunas city master plan and violates the public interest. The project “GENIUS LOCI: urbanization and civil society” aims to solve the problem of uncoordinated and non-democratic urbanization in Kaunas Šančiai district, creating conditions for more active participation of citizens in democratic processes, strengthening and enabling active citizenship. The target group of the project consists of the residents of Šančiai and other interested groups in society. Objective (s): Increased citizen participation in civic activities; stronger civil society capacity and greater sustainability. Results: more actively involved citizens in civic activities and decision-making: members of the Šančiai community and interested society, youth, socially excluded groups (target value + 25%); the creation of a virtual community space enabling civic processes and an increase in the number of users of digital tools promoting public participation in civic activities (target value + 25%); creatively interactive spaces promoting the participation of the society in civic activities (target value - 4000); CSOs and public / private partnerships implemented (target value 15).
Summary of project results
This project was necessary because the urban development in Šančiai district (Kaunas, Lithuania) did not meet the requirement of the Kaunas city master plan and violated the public interest. The project “GENIUS LOCI: urbanization and civil society” aimed to solve the problem of uncoordinated and non-democratic urbanization in Kaunas Šančiai district, creating conditions for more active participation of citizens in democratic processes, strengthening and enabling active citizenship. The target group of the project consisted of the residents of Šančiai and other interested groups in society.
1. Educational events with 322 participants in total (3 lectures, 3 seminars, 3 tours) on raising awareness on environmental and civil rights issues among young people and adults, residents of Šančiai.
2. Activities promoting active citizenship and strengthening direct democracy (Participation in public hearings on urban projects presentations (3 proposals prepared), 63 participants.
3. Civic creativity (9 Šančiai Opera rehearsals; 8 public Opera performances with 568 viewers; Travelling exhibition, consisting of the Žemieji Šančiai creative activities of the community artefacts and artistic documentaries (shown at Bodø , Oslo and Kaunas with 3213 viewers); Interactive creative spaces created for public dialogue with more than 1000 users)
4. Digital platform GIS database developed(in other words - an interactive digital map), enabling civic action, creating the urban and architectural character of Šančiai district plan. Map includes different map layers (map with historical places, map of the present, map of the nature objects). Target groups were empowered to participate in creating digital maps in workshops (327 participants.
5. Target groups were empowered to participate in creating digital maps during Urban conceptual plan workshops (327 participants).
6. A web page (dgital platform) for all project activities, documenting and communication was created, during the project and after its end enabling civic action.
7. Cooperation between partners (4 partner meetings, 1 of them in Norway, 1 in Lithuania).
Project resulted in citizens participating more actively in civic activities and are now included in decision-making. Those citizens were members of the Šančiai community and others interested society, youth, groups experiencing social exclusion. During the project implementation, a virtual community space (digital platforms) was created that enables civic processes and increased (and still increases) the number of users of digital tools that promote public participation in civic activities. Moreover, creatively interactive spaces were created that encourage public participation in civic activities; partnerships between CSOs and public/private entities have been implemented.
Summary of bilateral results
Harald Koht was a representative of Vellenes Fellesorganisasjon, partner no. I. Vegard Kaasen Engen was a representative of Bodo city municipality, partner no. II. Both partners improved the quality of the project by completing their tasks and achieving the expected results. Personal relationships were established, inter-institutional trust was gained, and a positive result of cooperation was achieved. The representative of partner no. II proposed cooperation in new projects in the future, as well as the application of the project results in the city of Bodo. Partner no. I provided a contact with Oslo based architect who will write a reflection about the findings of the urban tools developed during the project "Genius loci".It is important that the partners had common and mutually beneficial interests in the project.