Case studies
Case Study
DIY-urbanism
Series of events and urban interventions aimed at exploration and discussion.
What happened?
DIY-urbanism engages local communities and administrative units into discussion of opportunities and mechanisms of participation of Kaliningraders in the appropriation and development of urban space. Organizers encourage participants to search for ways to transform urban spaces powered by citizens themselves and the development of DIY culture. The event included a basic workshop, seminars, presentations, discussions, an exhibition and a final round table.
- Who can help?
- Cultural organisations (e.g. Library).
- Local NGOs.
- City administration units.
Why?
The aim was to promote DIY urbanism as a tool for development of urban culture and improvement of urban spaces by the citizens themselves in areas with lack of communities' involvement. Taking part in planned events was supposed to strengthen their competences in the field of public participation and urban studies.
Through the event, participants and organizers created proposals for the improvement of abandoned city locations (under-places) and tested possible planning solutions for selected locations (prototyping).
DIY urbanism helped also to expand the students-sociologists’ experience in research work and their experience in participatory design projects. The event established cooperation of urban activists with educational institutions (university).
How? (tools & methods)
- The project was strongly based on participation, therefore the programme consisted of 2-day design workshop “DIY weekend in Kaliningrad: designing urban spaces” with the participation of urban residents and urban experts. Results were presented to university students, at an event in the city library and at a seminar “Planning public spaces - a dialogue between government, business and society on the use of industrial territories and objects of cultural and historical heritage in Kaliningrad”. Among participants of the seminar were Russian and foreign experts in the field of urban studies.
- The workshop allowed citizens to increase their competencies in the field of urban studies and public participation in urban planning, to gain positive experience of personal participation, research, interventions, etc., to form a circle of people interested in topics of public participation and the development of the urban environment.
- There was also a participatory research conducted, which helped in preparing urban interventions in selected spots. The event engaged students in designing projects for locations – the results were shown during th exhibition "Public Spaces: Making Together".
- Finally citizens and administration met together at a round table “Let's make the city better: opportunities for improvement of public spaces by citizens”. The round table – along with the exhibition - allowed them to discuss and compare the approaches of the city administration and activists to the participation of citizens in urban planning and development, outline new points of interaction, and attract new participants to the movement.
For whom?
- citizens interested in urban development and creating public spaces
- residents of the microdistrict where the locations are located
- city administration
- What worked out?
- Organizers succeeded in improving the competencies of citizens in the field of public participation and urban studies.
What should you be aware of?
The lack of spaces for the presentation of such projects (exhibitions) for a long time.
How much time is needed?
process: 6 months (October 2016 –April 2017) event: 1 day (round table)
