Gdańsk Participatory Budgeting: a model for enhancing civic engagement
The Gdańsk participatory budgeting initiative, inaugurated in 2011, exemplifies a transformative approach to civic participation in urban development. This program allocates a specific portion of
Hallo: Going beyond real estate speculation to create community spaces in Hamburg
The HALLO: collective aims to reactivate publicly inaccessible spaces in the city of Hamburg. The collective organises a yearly festival, HALLO: Festspiele, and it is working on a strategy to
Planning a new cultural venue: Exploring the needs of the local cultural ecosystem
How to plan a new cultural venue in a district already rich in cultural life? How can a new cultural institution help to connect existing spaces and organisations, instead of
FABER Timisoara: A refurbished industrial site to boost the socio-creative scene
FABER is an independent cultural centre in a rehabilitated factory building located on the banks of the river Bega in Timisoara, Romania. Its mission is to “create sustainable projects that
Precariousness, double standards and racism in housing refugees
The blog presents an initial reflection on emerging challenges that the influx of refugees from Ukraine – about 7 million people since 24 February 2022 – poses to cities and
Social housing with self-determination: Wiener Wohnen’s quest to involve tenants in decision-making
Vienna is the largest municipal housing owner in Europe. About half of the city’s population lives in subsidised housing, while only around 30% of the Viennese apartments are privately owned.
CUP4Creativity: Can culture become the protagonist of social cohesion in Újbuda?
CUP4Creativity is a project of the Budapest district of Újbuda, funded by the EU’s Urban Innovative Actions programme. The project builds on the district’s current dynamic as a new cultural
The Ute Bock Association: Building on a legacy of inclusion
Considered by many as a secular saint, Mrs. Ute Bock (Linz 1942 – Vienna 2018) began helping refugees, especially those who were not included in the classic asylum system or
Chikù: A Romani-Italian restaurant in Naples run by women
In Scampia, one of the most challenged suburbs of Naples, a popular initiative uses women’s emancipation, art and culture, pedagogy, good food and social capital as main ingredients for a
Ois In An: Social and ecological sustainability all-in-one
In the centre of Vienna, a small commercial space is trying to make a difference working with a social and sustainable oriented mission. Ois In An is a restaurant combining
KAŅIERIS: Riga’s Youth Centre for realising ideas
Riga’s Youth Centre KAŅIERIS is a non-formal learning and inclusive collaboration space for young people and their organisations to gain knowledge and skills, as well as to develop mutual cooperation.
Rewarding green actions: a digital platform for citizen engagement in Prato
Prato Urban Jungle (PUJ), a project launched by the city of Prato, funded by the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) programme, will regenerate selected districts of Prato by developing high density
VinziRast: Volunteer-based support hub
The social initiative VinziRast is an ambitious volunteer-based organisation that aims to give a second chance at life for refugees and formerly homeless people through various channels. VinziRast-mittendrin, a housing project
