Case Study

Frunze‌ ‌Street‌

Public initiative promoting an alternative concept for city streets.

What happened?

The project focused on finding alternative concepts for the development and improvement of one of the central and symbolically significant city streets. It emerged as a reaction to the plans of local authorities to expand the roadway, destroying the green boulevard on Frunze Street. During the project, the working group conducted research procedures and analysis (sociological, anthropological, dendrological, transport flows), consultations with transport planning experts, developed a design project for street improvement, held discussions with the authorities, organized meetings of residents and experts with representatives of the municipality, held a cultural participatory event (3-day urban workshop).

  • Representatives of local culture such as musicians.
  • NGOs supporting small enterprises. City administration units.
  • Design faculty of a local university.
Frunze‌ ‌Street‌

Why?

Frunze Street project took place in the residential area of ​​the city with a tendency to aging and marginalization of the population, with old housing stock, lack of renovation or construction of new buildings and points of attraction.

Project's goal was to change the attitude to the territory: the rejection of its perception as a street for cars, a transport link between major city highways, in favor of a street for people as a public space.

Organizers wanted to develop channels of public participation in urban planning and development by strengthening the influence of citizens on urban planning decisions.

How? (tools & methods)

  • Organizers conducted sociological research and interviews with local residents and users but also took part in consultations with experts. The research phase consisted of dendrological inventory, sociological survey, analysis of the social situation and street use scenarios, consultations with transport experts. Sociological research and conversations with residents made it possible to validate the relevance and validity of the solution proposed by the activists.
  • The project was based on meetings of administration representatives, local residents, activists and experts in transport planning. Case of the project was presented in public and put in common discussion. They also developed city interventions (sightseeing tours, tree signs). Public presentation and discussion with the participation of local experts (architects, designers, etc.) and media stimulated support from the public.
  • The result of the meetings and the discussion was a prototype theh used knowledge gained from urban workshops on Frunze Street (it confirmed a huge request for public space in this territory). The final event of the project was designed to test the functioning and the use of Frunze Street in the format of public space. Stages of implementation: procurement of materials and equipment, negotiations with participants, creation of a site, the event itself.

For whom?

  • Residents of the street and neighborhood
  • users of the territory (employees and visitors of institutions located here, schoolchildren and parents)
  • local authorities

What worked out?

The project made it possible to start a discussion by the city administration of Kaliningrad about the possibility of creating a public space on the Frunze Street. One of the biggest achievements of the project was renunciation of the city administration of Kaliningrad to implement their project of street reconstruction.

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