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Tools and methods
Tools and methods
Pop-up space – a temporary meeting place
When it is useful
For 6 weeks, an abandoned shop in the centre of Pori was turned into an experimental space for collaborative creation of downtown development plans. Using empty spaces in neighbourhoods for the purpose of cultural planning projects is one of the most effective ways to connect with residents, explore their relationship with the local space and work together for its future. Passers-by invited by the hosts can place their remarks on specially prepared boards, models and maps, leave comments and choose what they regard as the best solutions and ideas in. Filling this space with events, meetings and discussions turns it into a temporary local centre.
Step by step instruction
- Walk around the neighbourhood and find an empty space, preferably one with a shop window visible to passers-by.
- Find out who owns the place – you may be able to persuade the owner to let you use it for a small fee.
- Prepare the space - tidy it up, fill it with charts and materials on the topic you want to discuss with the inhabitants. Mark the space well so that it is visible to passers-by.
- Establish a programme of events and a schedule of your duties at the venue.
- Open up your temporary meeting space and actively invite people to come in.
- After a few weeks of meetings and discussions, take stock of what you have learned. The information and ideas you have gathered can be used in the next stages of the project.
