From ACTive NGOs to solidarity networks: civic ecosystems during and after COVID-19
Written by Eutropian Director Levente Polyak for Urbact. The COVID-19 crisis has heavily disrupted the activities of NGO Houses and their civic ecosystems. While the
New institutions and cooperative finance in times of austerity
To a large extent, the global financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a result of excessive real estate speculation and the irresponsible management of investments and debts by the mainstream banking
MADRID AGROCOMPOSTA – Turning waste into resource
Madrid Agrocomposta is a circular economy project in Madrid, initiated by Plataforma Madrid Agroecológico, working on turning waste from food markets into compost to fertilise agricultural land around the city.
Coop57 – Financing projects in the social and solidarity economy
Coop57 is a cooperative for ethical financial services with the objective of financing projects in the social and solidarity economy. It was created in Barcelona in 1995 from a compensation
Rákóczi Collective – Alternatives to individual homeownership
In 2011 a dozen young people retreated for a weekend to one of the suburbs of Hungary’s capital to discuss the alternatives of individual home-ownership, and to sketch the contours
Lessons from community-led housing for city-makers across Europe
During the past few decades, housing has been at the forefront of community-led initiatives to guarantee the right to an affordable city. As a consequence, housing, in many respects, has
Goteo – Crowdsourcing for open communities
Goteo is a platform for civic crowdfunding founded by Platoniq, a Catalan association of culture producers and software developers. Goteo helps citizen initiatives as well as social, cultural and technological
Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas – Mapping and co-producing citizen initiatives
Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas is a platform to support citizen projects in Madrid. Initiated by the architecture office Estudio SIC, the platform maps and brings together citizen initiatives that shape
Tartu’s new masterplan – A platform for ideas by citizens
“The trick is how to translate the masterplan to something that people can understand” The Estonian city of Tartu has recently created a new masterplan. For the Tartu Municipality, an
MÜSZI – Public functions in private spaces
Művelődési Szint (MÜSZI Art & Community Centre) is a cultural space operating on the 3rd floor of a socialist-style department store. Besides hosting events ranging from concerts to theatre performances
Bottega Artistico Musicale – Public-civic cooperation for independent culture
Bottega Artistico Musicale is an experimental centre of independent cultural production in Sapri, Southern Italy. BAM’s space is used to encourage the free diffusion and fruition of all kinds of
La Cuciria – A circular economy-based sewing workshop
La Cuciria – Sartoria Creativa Emotiva aims at creating awareness of ethical consumption through the activity of sewing. The “Creative Emotive Sewing Workshop” is based in a building of 200
The Peissnitzhaus – Renovation with community shares
The Peissnitzhaus, a historical building in Halle/Saale was abandoned between 1990 and 2013 when 17 people founded the NGO “Peißnitzhaus e.V.” The members renovated the building and founded the “Peißnitzhaus