Imagine a 6,700-square-metre “village in the city” where every floor hums with the energy of theatre rehearsals, yoga classes, and NGO strategy meetings. This is
The Schwimmverein Donaukanal (SVDK) exemplifies how social design can transform urban environments through community engagement. The initiative began as a small social design research project
In the heart of Bucharest, Văcărești Nature Park tells a story of transformation, resilience, and renewal. What was once a neighbourhood razed for a Communist-era
Jardins do Bombarda is a cultural and community centre run by Largo Residências, a cultural and social solidarity cooperative. The organisation moved to the premises
Yourspace.Sutton is more than a community garden. It provides workshops to kids, supports social therapeutic activities, and hosts local sustainable businesses in a horticultural environment.
Independent culture is a vital ingredient of Hungary’s cultural landscape. While Budapest remains a thriving metropolis with a strong independent scene and many smaller towns
Heritage is a crucial component of our individual and collective identities, communities and social infrastructure as well as our urban and rural fabrics. Heritage assets,
In the past decades, Gdańsk has followed a well-defined strategic path. Building one initiative on another, the city used European projects to strengthen the innovation
Over the past decade, market halls and open air food markets have become an important arena for urban regeneration. Although many of today’s European cities
Toplocentrala is a buzzing interdisciplinary dialogue centre, a laboratory that creates and presents performative as well as visual and musical arts. This magnificent cultural venue
Free Riga is an organisation promoting the temporary use of vacant and underused buildings across the city of Riga. Founded in 2013, Free Riga gained
Solidarity Everyday Space is a co-governed space inside the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk. The aim of the Solidarity Everyday Space builds on the mission
In 2018, the Croatian Ministry of Culture announced a project tender for the development of social-cultural centres in Croatia, based on participatory governance and public-civil
The right to bid for Assets of Community Value was defined in the Localism Act, introduced as an act of UK Parliament in 2011 by
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
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
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
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
The city of Naples (Italy)[1] is an exemplary case study of how a city can co-design legal and sustainable urban commons governance mechanisms and enable
In the year 2000, the Art Workshop Lazareti, one of the most significant Croatian organisations in the field of contemporary arts and culture, signed a
Confiscation is an asset security measure consisting in the expropriation, in favour of the State, of something which has been used to commit an offence
Local Operators’ Platform (LOCOP) is an independent initiative and research lab specialised in cultural research. LOCOP’s aim is to critically assess cultural policies and transnational
Kultura Nova is a public foundation promoting civil society organisations in the field of contemporary arts and culture. The foundation was established in 2011, when
The Power of Civic Ecosystems: How community spaces and their networks make our cities more cooperative, fair and resilient Public-civic cooperation has never been as
ExRotaprint was founded in 2007 by tenants of the former Rotaprint industrial complex located in Wedding, a traditional working-class district in central Berlin. ExRotaprint set up a legal configuration comprising a heritable building right and non-profit status in order to buy the complex put up for sale by the Berlin Municipality’s Real Estate Fund. Established by the tenants ExRotaprint became owner of the 10,000 m2 complex and started a non-profit real estate development project setting a precedent in Berlin that inspired many experiments in cooperative ownership and a campaign to change the city’s privatisation policy. ExRotaprint offers affordable rents to small businesses, artists and social projects.
Medialab Prado is a citizen laboratory that functions as a meeting place for the production of open cultural projects. It is a cultural space and
BeeOzanam is a community hub whose challenge is to combat cultural poverty and social exclusion, stimulating the growth of a sustainable generation through the co-production
Färgfabriken is a platform and exhibition venue for contemporary cultural expressions, with an emphasis on art, architecture and urban planning established in an industrial building built in 1889. The building previously accommodated a paint factory, from which it also borrowed its name. Since its creation, Färgfabriken has not only become a key cultural institution in Stockholm, but has also pioneered a model of building inclusive, participatory processes through art and dialogue. Färgfabriken has a great impact on the development of the surrounding area and on the inclusion of a great variety of stakeholders in decision-making processes.
The Republic of Užupis was declared in 1998 in the old town of Vilnius, in a run-down and undesirable district of the capital of Lithuania
London’s first Community Land Trust was established in the former psychiatric hospital of St Clements, in the Mile End area. It provides affordable housing, allowing long-term residents who would be priced out to stay in the area, countering the tendencies of displacement and housing unaffordability. Supported by the Greater London Authority to work with a private developer, the CLT also promotes community engagement and is actively working on the creation of a community centre at the St Clements site.
Stará Tržnica (Old Market Hall) is a historical building in the centre of Bratislava. After years of unsuccessful attempts by the municipality to keep the market alive, a redevelopment plan with the input of the locals was realised by the Alianca Stará Tržnica combining a food market, cultural events, cafés, a grocery shop, a cooking school and a soda water manufacture. The space has helped to rebuild the community and runs in an economically sustainable way.
Right in the centre of Warsaw, where there once was the summer residence of royals, now lies a one-of-a-kind symbol of resistance, rebirth and civil
The Peter Weiss Haus is as a free educational and cultural centre located in an historical building in downtown Rostock. Through the creation of an
Realising the need to create international dialogue on handling the COVID-19 crisis at the local level, Eutropian launched a weekly webinar to connect activists and
Urban Commons are all those spaces, services and resources that are directly managed by local communities for their wellbeing. Taking care of such common goods
The Coronavirus pandemic is causing huge damage in both physical and psychological terms in all fields of life. At the moment, approximately eight million people
I beni comuni urbani (Urban Commons) sono tutti quegli spazi, servizi e risorse che favoriscono il benessere delle comunità locali e sono gestiti da
Episodio #4: Centri di Comunità e network ONG Attive (ACTive NGOs) È ormai chiaro a tutti che l’epidemia di Coronavirus ha cambiato le abitudini quotidiane di
Episodio # 3: Sfide e soluzioni potenziali per il settore culturale Viviamo tempi difficili, siamo spaventati e isolati nelle nostre case. E tuttavia in tanti
Cascina Roccafranca is a multi-functional community centre operating in a building owned by the City of Turin. The centre is managed through a cooperation between public and civic actors: a scheme that offers a valuable governance model while providing a wide range of social and cultural activities.
Abbiamo incontrato a Napoli gli attivisti del Centro Sociale Ex OPG Occupato – Je so’ pazzo, un ex ospedale psichiatrico che è stato sottratto all’abbandono,
FRIEDA 23 is a venue for art and media production. Located in Rostock, Northern Germany, it was opened as a result of the cooperation of
Ex OPG Occupato Je so’ pazzo (Neapolitan for “I am crazy”) is a former criminal asylum. The building was saved from abandonment and returned to
Poveglia per Tutti is an association whose aim is to reclaim Poveglia, one of the many islands scattered across the Venetian lagoon, and make it
The extractive nature of mass tourism is made possible by tourist behaviour, missing regulations and lacking alternatives. There has been very little work done to
Cascina Roccafranca is a multi-functional community center located in a former farmstead in Turin’s outskirts. After 30 years of vacancy, Cascina Roccafranca was bought by the Municipality of Turin and requalified with the support of the European Union Urban II program. Today, Cascina Roccafranca is a public asset managed through a cooperation between public and civic actors and it provides a wide range of social and cultural activities. Since 2012, Cascina Roccafranca has been part of a network of similar community centers in Turin which was formalized in 2017, and today collaborates with the City Council in the management and the regeneration of urban commons.
Based on the experience developed over the past ten years in Lisbon, the Bip/Zip program is currently at the basis of the URBACT Transfer Network
The HALLO: collective aims to reactivate not publicly accessible spaces in the city of Hamburg. The collective organizes a yearly summer festival, HALLO: Festspiele, and
Largo Residências is a hostel, hotel, artist-in-residence and café in Lisbon’s fast-changing Intendente neighbourhood. Largo Residências, run by a cooperative, uses its revenue from tourism and events to develop projects to support the cultural and social inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. In the past years, Largo has become a social net for many of the area’s residents and a community as well as a community hub, leading the discussion about Lisbon’s touristification and gentrification. Endangered by the tourism-driven real estate development transforming the city’s historical areas, Largo has been working on opening new spaces for its activities.
The cooperative L’Olivera manages agriculture projects with social impact in the countryside outside Barcelona. Last autumn we visited Masia Can Calopa, where L’Olivera has cultivated
Ecomuseo Casilino is a museum that operates beyond the standard walls of a museum. The Associazione Culturale Ecomuseo Casilino Ad Duas Lauros is committed to
Gólya is a community house in Budapest. It has been working for six years on Bókay János utca in the 8th District, and currently it
Via Baltea is a multifunctional space initiated and run by Sumisura, a cooperative of architects and social workers who operate in the field of urban
The Bunker is a cultural project launched by The Cultural Association URBE – Urban Regeneration and the Torino Quittengo Srl, owner of the area. Bunker
Mindspace is a non-profit organization based in Budapest and founded in 2011. It manages cultural urban projects with a focus on smart and livable neighbourhoods
Mercato Sonato is a project to requalify an unused market hall in Bologna. It was developed by an association of musicians in need of a
Bagni Pubblici di via Agliè 9 is a community space where more than 15 organizations, associations, traders, schools and institutions, work to improve the quality
Kilowatt is a co-working space inside the Margherita Gardens in Bologna. Opened in 2012, it was developed through the Incredibol public tender and it became
The role of the Studio Commissioner for Berlin exists since 1993. After the city’s reunification it became evident that affordable space for artists would become
A former warehouse has become a living lab where the spatial and economical needs of small entrepreneurs are studied in order to promote mixed-use spaces
NEST is a temporary use project in the former City Library of Ghent awaiting refurbishment and a new use. The 7,000 m2 building, was given
De Pastory was created in 2015 in an old presbytery building and the garden on Ghent’s Heilig Hartplein. Born from a movement of local residents
Il Young Market Lab ha riattivato gli spazi inutilizzati del mercato coperto di Carbonara di Bari tramite il coinvolgimento di giovani che hanno avviato le
The Jurányi Incubator House brings together dozens of theatre groups, associations and creative companies in a former school building owned by the Budapest Municipality. The
Laituri is an urban information centre in Helsinki established in 2008. Attached to the Helsinki Municipality’s city planning department, Laituri helps disseminating information about the
The international debate on the commons has a long history but only in recent years has it started gearing towards the definition of Urban Commons
While affordable space for housing and community activities in Europe has traditionally been provided by states, public companies and private corporations, the transformation of the
Shuffle Festival is an annual event that exhibits creativity through films, performances, architectural installations and music; providing an important gathering point for the local community
De Besturing was founded in 2006 in an industrial area of The Hague and over the years it has been transformed from a temporary studio complex into a sustainable collective of artists and designers. Initially rented out for free on a temporary basis from the municipality, the community nevertheless collected the rent from tenants, constituting a capital that made possible the building’s purchase in 2017.
Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust was created in 2011 to address housing issues within Liverpool’s Eighth District. With the help of local activists, architects
Stiftung Edith Maryon was created in 1990. The foundation’s mission is to secure socially responsible places of residence and work, and to promote transparent land use,
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
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
La Cuciria – Sartoria Creativa Emotiva aims at creating awareness of ethical consumption through the activity of sewing. The “Creative Emotive Sewing Workshop” is based
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
Stiftung trias was established in 2002, to help community groups and co-housing projects access financing. Trias takes land off the market by separating the ownership
Largo Residências is a hostel, hotel, artist-in-residence and café in Lisbon’s fast-changing Intendente neighbourhood. Largo, run by a cooperative, aims at connecting the area’s past
Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust addresses housing issues within Liverpool’s Eighth District. In this scheme, the local community owns land and leases some parcels and buildings for various uses and development projects, keeping control over prices and ensuring long-term affordability and community benefit.
Carrozzerie_n.o.t is an ex-car repair workshop in Rome that has been transformed into an independent cultural and performing arts centre focusing on theatre and dance.
“If you have space, you should do something directly for the people who make up the area.” ExRotaprint was founded in 2007 by tenants of
Gängeviertel is a historic neighbourhood of Central Hamburg. When plans emerged about the demolition of the last heritage buildings of the district, artists, architects and
De Besturing was founded in 2006 in an industrial area of The Hague and over the years it has been transformed from a temporary studio
MÜSZI Art & Community Centre was a cultural space operating on the 3rd floor of a socialist-style department store in Budapest. Müszi stands as an unprecedented venture in Budapest, a venue that positions itself as an independent, self-sustaining “house of culture,” and offers affordable space and activities to a wide range of age groups, while combining its artistic and social mission with business principles in a sustainable manner.
LaFabrika detodalavida is a multifunctional community centre in Los Santos de Maimona in Extremadura (ES), that offers a series of local services to its rural
The Peissnitzhaus, a historical building in Halle/Saale. The house had been empty and neglected since the German reunification until 2003, when 17 people founded the “Peißnitzhaus e.V.”, a non-profit organisation. The members began to renovate the subsidiary buildings and to revitalise the beer garden by offering cultural and educational events.
Largo Residências is a hostel, hotel, artist-in-residence and café in Lisbon’s fast-changing Intendente neighbourhood. It serves as a community hub for many of the area’s residents and initiatives, and develops projects to support the cultural and social inclusion of the neighbourhood’s precarious inhabitants. The establishment of Largo was assisted by the Lisbon Municipality’s BIP/ZIP program in 2011.
Bottega Artistico Musicale is an experimental centre of independent cultural production in Sapri, Southern Italy. BAM’s space encourages open sharing of uses, resources and skills, in order to promote mutualistic, cooperative and supportive production. The building was offered by the municipality for free and was renovated by students, temporary employees, unemployed people, graduates, musicians, activists, artists.
Alianca Stará Tržnica is an NGO managing the Old Market Hall, a historic building in the centre of Bratislava, combining a food market with cultural, as well as two cafés, a grocery shop, a cooking school and a soda water manufacturer. Rethinking the opportunities of the Old Market Hall allows the organisation to run the building in an economically sustainable way, while gradually renovating it, creating a new event venue and meeting space in the heart of the city.
Carrozzerie n.o.t is an ex-car repair workshop in Rome that has been transformed into an independent cultural and performing arts centre focusing on theatre and dance.
Stiftung trias was established in 2002, to help community groups and co-housing projects access financing. Trias takes land off the market by separating the ownership of land and buildings: supported initiatives lease the land from the foundation in the form of a long-term Heritable Building Right and their lease fee is collected in a mutual fund run by Trias. In recent years, Trias has also been working with public administrations, securing functions for properties that municipalities are obliged to sell under austerity laws.
Cascina Roccafranca is a multi-functional community centre operating in a building owned by the City of Turin. Partly financed by the municipal budget, the centre is
Gängeviertel is a historic neighbourhood of Central Hamburg. When plans emerged about the demolition of the last heritage buildings of the district, artists, architects and activists mobilised themselves and the wider Hamburg community to protect the area.
The Jurányi Incubator House brings together dozens of theatre groups, associations and creative companies in a former school building owned by the Budapest Municipality. Jurányi did not only create an unprecedented venue and umbrella organisation for the independent theatre scene, it also brought a cultural and community centre in an area with no cultural activities before.
LaFabrika detodalavida is a multifunctional community centre set up in an abandoned industrial space in Extremadura in Spain, that offers a series of local services to its rural community, such as cultural events, music, construction spaces and most importantly gathering venues.
LaFabrika detodalavida is a multifunctional community centre set up in an abandoned industrial space in Extremadura in Spain, that offers a series of local services to its rural community, such as cultural events, music, construction spaces and most importantly gathering venues.
ExRotaprint was founded by tenants of the Rotaprint industrial complex in Wedding, a traditional working class district in Northwest Berlin. When the complex was put up for sale by the Berlin Municipality’s Real Estate Fund, members of the ExRotaprint began to look into the possibility of buying the area.
Alianca Stará Tržnica is an NGO managing the Old Market Hall, a historic building in the centre of Bratislava. The building closed down after years
Officine Zero (OZ) was born in 2012 following the failure of the RSI corporation (ex Wagon-lits). The re-appropriation of the corporation’s facilities by the workers,
“A legnagyobb bevételünk alapvetően az, hogy nagyon sok önkéntessel dolgozunk” A korábbi, Király utcai színháztermet és klubot magába foglaló háromszintes helyiségét 2011-ben elvesztő Marom Egyesület
© Copyright 2017 – 2025 by Eutropian GmbH. All rights reserved. I Imprint / Disclaimer | Data Privacy Policy | Contact
