Liminal Spaces as "Urban Commons"

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LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS” Studio Bucharest | Progress Portfolio | May 2020 | MAUD

Adish Siddapur Matada Reg. no. 190183475

Community Farming Urban Haat

Public Park

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Low Cost Housing

Performance Space Community Farming

Self Organizing City y

Civic Caring Cit

Workshop

Green Path Community Garden

Civic Center

Recreation Spaces

Workshops


PDF optimized to view as single slides

Individual and group contribution demarcated through

4a

4b

4c


Contents Formal Summary

Formal Summary as of 15 May 2020 Overall Process Map

Semester 1 Development

Page 05

Liminal Spaces & Urban Commons

Page 09

Methodology

Page 11

The Context

Case Study Visit:Delta Vacarasti

Page 15

Field Visit

Page 17

Exhibition

Page 23

Site: Ferrentari

Page 25

Precedent Study (Ferrentari)

Page 27

Problem Statement

Strategy

Page 03

Problem Statement and Aim

Page 31

Precedent Study (Urban Commons)

Page 33

Point of Intervention

Page 37

Strategy

Page 39

Design Proposal

Design Proposal

Page 43

Design Scenarios

Page 45

Vision Plan

Page 49


Studio Bucharest: Formal Summary As of15th May 2020

The topic “Liminal Spaces” was collectively arrived at based on readings from the first semester. We knew what we were to look for during our site visit to Bucharest. The google derives walk from Sem 1 gave us a rough understanding of what to expect in the sites chosen as liminal spaces. But we were still skeptical about what we would find and what our next path would be. Visiting the “Liminal Spaces” During the site visits experiencing these liminal spaces in person gave us a much deeper understanding of the context. It brought in clarity in terms of the social and economical conditions.

Why Ferrentari? During the site visit, we lost our way off the planned path and found ourselves in Ferrentari. A part of the city that had been abandoned and left aside as a ghetto. Walking through this neighborhood was intimidating and its flaws were clearly visible. After the site visit and the exhibition, we were certain our interventions had to be for the people of Ferrentari. Although we didn’t know much about the site, as a team we decided to go back into reading and researching more about Rahova and Ferrentari. This decision was initially scary, but that pushed us to work harder to come up with something meaningful for the city.

About the Research Ferrentari being a complicated area, to form a problem statement, just the readings weren’t enough. We interviewed people from Bucharest for their personal opinions and feedback on how we should tackle these situations. Based on their inputs and several similar precedent studies, we concluded a problem statement. Based on the works from the first semester and the new data we had, we revised our strategies. From the Problem statement and the strategies, we formed a design program that we put up on to the site.

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About the Design By the time we reached the design phase, we were running out of time. We were however focused and knew what our final output should be like. We had several discussions detailing out the roles of actors, programs of buildings, and layout of our planning. After this, we quickly divided up our responsibilities to work efficiently. About the Group Work As Beatriz and I had similar ideologies, it made sense for us to work together on the topic of urban commons. However, we did have our differences throughout the process, but that helped to raise more concerns regarding the design. Beatriz had a knack of quickly analyzing texts and summarizing it and I was good at interpreting that information into a design strategy. This way we worked efficiently and quickly. Since we were 2 of us working, the data produced was not totally logically linked with clear connections. During the extension of our deadlines due to the COVID 19 situation, we used this time to rework on our layouts and make a clear structure to present.

Conclusion Though we were confused in the beginning, after visiting the site, we had a better clarity in mind. More reading and interviews gave us a better understanding of what was required. With all the problems observed in Ferrentari, the design strategy evolved to be a complex multilayered proposal that required linking the physical, social, economic, and cultural aspects. Though we lacked time to design, as a team we worked efficiently to meet the deadlines.


Studio Bucharest: Overall Process Map As of15th May 2020

Case Study Visits Vacarasti Green Mogo

Urban Commons

Exhibition

Field Work

Liminal Spaces

Sites

Field Trip : Bucharest

Discovery

Confused

The Ahh Moment

Directionless

Curious

Evaluation

Too many different perspectives as a huge group

Analysis

Lost

Confusion due to lack of direction

Sense of confidence

Conclusion

Feelings

Before Field Trip / Semester 1

Site visit changed perspectives

Knowing more about the site and its context before visiting the site would have been helpful

With like minded teammate, curious about similiar topics

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Problem Statement

Strategy Aim

Literature research on Site and context

Design Scenarios

Design Proposal

After Field Trip

Focused

Oriented

Relearning

As we explored an unknown site, we faced certain difficulties

Site visit allowed us to understand the context in a more bottom up aproach

Could have explored more about the context if time had permitted


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Semester 1 Development


Types of liminal Spaces

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS” ‘liminal’ is described as “Of or pertaining to the threshold or initial stage of a process.” Oxford English Dictionary

The term liminal was brought to an urban context and applied to describe a particular situation that was “found” and analysed in Bucharest.

Abandoned Industrial Areas

Border Between Public and Private space

Inbetween Public Spaces

Under-used Public Spaces

Invaded Public Spaces

‘Liminal space’ would apply to places, areas in the city that are abandoned, underused, or that used to mean something in the past, sometimes a significant site in the communist period, but today is just “empty”.

Urban Commons

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS” The idea to transform some of these places using the concept of Urban Commons has to do with a bottom-up form of revitalization, in order to create and develop a sense of community to these areas, aiming at the citizens’ real needs.

“Commons do not depend on a singular titleholder with absolute ownership, but on social relations, mutual obligations and variety of rights in the commons” Martina Low Urban common can be seen as a ‘new common - frames collective resources, pointing out what could and should be owned and managed collectively as a common good. - closely tied the communities that “keep them” . Maja Jojer Bruun

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Group 4

Liminal Spaces

Group 4a

Group 4b

Co-Producing Common based Resilience: Lessons from RUrban

Group 4c

Hardt & Negri (2011) Henry (2012)

Resilience as Interdependence

Urban Commons

As a group of 7, wee collectively derieved out research quuestion and agreed to work on the concept of “Liminal Spaces” From the Large group, Beatriz and I, had similar idealogies in terms of our further research questions.

“Liminal Spaces as Urban Commons”


Methodology

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

How Regenerate the Abandoned Industrial Between Public How do do we weBorder Regenerate the AreasDesign and Private space the Strategy How do we Regenerate Design Strategy Design Strategy

“Liminal Spaces”? Inbetween Public “Liminal Spaces”? “LiminalSpaces Spaces”?

Versatile Space Versatile Space Versatile Space

Curated History Curated History Curated History

Use Existing Resources Use Existing Resources Use Existing Resources

Rebuild Border Spaces Rebuild Border Spaces Rebuild Border Spaces

Further Further Plan Plan Further Plan

Site Visits Site 1 Site 1 Site 1

Site 2 Site 2 Site 2

Under-used Public Spaces

Invaded Public Spaces

Community Generated Income Community Generated Income Community Generated Income

Resource Sharing Resource Sharing Financial Backing Resource Sharing Financial Backing Financial Backing

Exhibition

Public Service Facilities Public Service Facilities Public Service Facilities

Reading

Site 3 Site 3 Site 3

Collected Traces

Site ‘n’... Site ‘n’... Site ‘n’...

Identified Potential

Revitalization of “Liminal Spaces” as Urban Commons Revitalization ofBased “Liminal Spaces” as Urban Commons Updated Aim on Design Strategies Revitalization ofBased “Liminal Spaces” as Urban Commons on Design Strategies

and Strategy

Mapping Mapping Mapping | Collecting | |Collecting Collecting Traces Traces Traces

Based on Design Strategies

Identify Liminal spaces around the city through Identify Liminal spaces around the city through Visitsspaces and Collect Information IdentifySite Liminal around the city through Site Visits and Collect Information Site Visits and Collect Information

Design Proposal

Interviewing Interviewing Interviewing Local Local Local Public Public Public

Community Practices Learning of LiminThe Methodology here was to analyze the sites throughSpaces thefor lenses Community Practices Spaces for Learning andPractices Public Utility Spaces Sports and Recreation andLearning Community Spaces for and Public Utility Spaces Sports and Recreation and Net Worth skill development al SpacesAverage and to find development potential in as an Urban Common. Public Utility Spaces Sports and Recreation and Averageand Net Worth skill development Average Net Worth

Vets Vets Clinics Vets Clinics Local Shops Clinics Local Shops Market Spaces Local Shops Market Spaces Market Spaces

Skating Skating Volley Ball Skating Volley Ball Basketball Volley Ball Basketball Football Basketball Football Football

skill development Art Gallery Art Gallery Workshops Art Gallery Workshops Performance Space Workshops Performance Space Performance Space

Based on data collected in the site visit and the inputs at the exhibition, we finalized on sites to intervene and problems to tackle through design. With this problem statement, the group strategy was updated and design was Flexible Spaces | Community Participation proposed Flexible Spaces | Community Participation Flexible Spaces | Community Participation Rentable? | Sponsorship? | Fund Raiser? Rentable? | Sponsorship? | Fund Raiser? Rentable? | Sponsorship? | Fund Raiser?

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Financial Backing Resource Sharing

Through Interviews

Mapping Collecting Traces

Space 1

Space 2

Space 3

Space 4

Revitalization Of Liminal Spaces as “Urban Commons�

Average Net Worth Community Practices

Identify Liminal Spaces through Site Visits & Informantion Collection

Public Utility Spaces Vets Clinics Shops (Local) Market Spaces

Sports & Recreation Skating Vollyball Basketball Football

Flexible Spaces Rentable?? Fund Raising??

Spaces for Learning and Skill Development Community Center Art Gallery Performance Spaces


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The Context


Case Study Documentation: Delta Vacarasti LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

The Visit to the Delta Vacarasti was our first site visit during the trip. The understanding we had from our online literature study didn’t do justice in comparison to the actual experience. The massive scale and environmental resilience could only be observed by actually being there. The interaction with Bogdan and Marian was extremely informative and helped understand the social, environmental, and political conditions of the site and the city.

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7

1

1

2

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Tools & Resources Social Media Community Engagement People (Living the Delta: The Best Rangers)

Funding Government: Turbulent Relationship Trying to collaborate for support Private: Community garden funds Institute of permaculture of Romania Community engagement programs

Flora and Fauna Migratory birds Foxes and other mammals Bees (not officially allowed) Climate Change Forest Fire

Goals “Learning about Nature, in the Nature” “The Park, A place of Care” Creating Green paths connecting other parks

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5

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Identify Liminal Spaces

DĂŠrive Walk: Google Maps

List Places to Visit

Semester 1

Plan Route

Before Field Trip

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Field Work

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Social Mapping Photo-Documentation Mapping For exhibition

Audio-Documentation Collecting Traces Interviewing

During Field Trip


Field Work: Văcărești: South East of Delta LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Ecology

Green Mapping

The Site is Degraded due to lack of human interventions. Unlike the Delta, no evidences of Environmental Resilience

Traces of human trash and wild vegetation.

Green spaces with vegetation alongside the road and also the Vacarest Park Nature Reserve.

Fire station, hospital, hotel, apartments buildings under development, greenhouses, repair car shops.

Pedestrian path alongside the Vacarest Park

Context and Infrastructure

Calea Vacaresti – North-South connection busy traffic

Society and Economic Conditions

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Field Work: Eroii Revolutiei: Park and School LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Ecology

Sounds: birds, conversation,silence

Green Mapping

Public green space underused and fenced

Context and Infrastructure

Communist’s buildings and houses (great state of maintenance) Public graden fenced; Metro station, bus and tram stops.

Lack of convinience stores

Society and Economic Conditions

Sounds: Children from the school Society/Economic conditions: Medium class

Mixed-age group – seniors at the park (talking or eating); children going to school; people passing by or walking their dogs.


Field Work: Rahova: North of the Rail | Ferrentari: South of the Rail LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Ecology

Construction derby and garbage dump

Degraded land with no green spaces

Scavengers

Context and Infrastructure

Sound: Traffic and road noise Site 3: alongside a Strada D. Constantin Istrati busy traffic Heavy transport vehicles Abandoned railway tracks Industrial buildings, car repair shops

Site 4: Abandoned railway tracks Narrow grid form streets

Society and Economic Conditions

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Field Work: Calea Rahovei: Buisness District LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Ecology

Green Mapping

Urban scape Green space underused

Context and Infrastructure The central area of this part of the city Alongside Strada Progresului, tram and bus stop; Liberty mall Fast food restaurants Informal retail (streets venders) Sounds: Market space, Traffic, and people commuting

Society and Economic Conditions Medium class Pedestrian traffic due to the localization and surrounding infrastructure.


Exhibition: Spațiuliber AWE Space of the Free LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Ecology

Ecology

Ecology

Public green space underused and fenced

Traces of human trash and wild vegetation.

Green spaces with vegetation alongside the road and also the Vacarest Park Nature Reserve.

Ecology

Sounds: birds, conversation, silence

Green Mapping

Green Mapping

The Site is Degraded due to lack of human interventions. Unlike the Delta, no evidences of Environmental Resilience

Construction derby and garbage dump

Degraded land with no green spaces

Scavengers

Green Mapping

Urban scape Green space underused

Context and Infrastructure

Context and Infrastructure

Context and Infrastructure

Context and Infrastructure The central area of this part of the city Alongside Strada Progresului, tram and bus stop; Liberty mall Fast food restaurants Informal retail (streets venders) Sounds: Market space, Traffic, and people commuting

Sound: Traffic and road noise Communist’s buildings and houses (great state of maintenance) Public graden fenced; Metro station, bus and tram stops.

Calea Vacaresti – North-South connection busy traffic

Fire station, hospital, hotel, apartments buildings under development, greenhouses, repair car shops.

Pedestrian path alongside the Vacarest Park

Lack of convinience stores

Site 3: alongside a Strada D. Constantin Istrati busy traffic Heavy transport vehicles Abandoned railway tracks Industrial buildings, car repair shops

Society and Economic Conditions

Society and Economic Conditions

Society and Economic Conditions

Society and Economic Conditions Medium class Pedestrian traffic due to the localization and surrounding infrastructure.

Sounds: Children from the school Society/Economic conditions: Medium class

Site 4: Abandoned railway tracks Narrow grid form streets

Mixed-age group – seniors at the park (talking or eating); children going to school; people passing by or walking their dogs.

Based on the site visit, case study visit, and traces collected, an Exhibition in Bucharest was held. Here we presented our works to the locals of Bucharest for their opinions and inputs. This engagement spurred up lots of interesting conversations that helped us understand the city better. Through the exhibition we were able to finalize on our site for interventions. Participants also listed down ideal design programs and design themes that they seemed fit for the city.

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Exhibition: Spațiuliber AWE Space of the Free LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

2 Interaction Session Aim

Traces collected from Site

EXHIBITION

Individual Site Prespective

Design Program Suggestion

Site Finalization

Point of interventions

1

Personal Experiences of the Participants

OPEN FOLD

Field Work Mapping


Ferentari

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS� Poorest neighbourhood of Bucharest Collective housing construcuted during the Socialist period are now occupied by displaced and vulnerable people High rates of criminality and lack of governamental intervensions Degrated area

Roma People

Local Citizens

8,32% of the Romanian population are Romani. In Bucharest, they settled in Ferrentari

The Policy Centre for Roma and Minorities and the Asociata Komunitas are local agents that work with schools in Ferentari to help the children with social services.

They face discrimination from most european countries, which result in: low educartion;labour market barriers;segregation housing and poor health

They to participatory activities to change, for example, the urban environment and sport scenary of the kids

Express their culture through food, music, dances, dialects, cerimonies

Ghenciulescu, S., Dutescu, M. and Margulescu, A., 2019. The Other City. Bucharest: Zeppelin. Ec.europa.eu. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/archive/conferences/roma2013/doc/things_that_ worked.pdf> [Accessed 19 April 2020]. Asia, W., 2020. Handbook For Improving The Living Conditions Of Roma - Project Briefs. [online] Issuu. Available at: <https://issuu. com/world.bank.europe.central.asia/docs/project_briefs_roma> [Accessed 19 April 2020].

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re

ss cultu

o expre Space t

Lack of No spac

Jobs

e for inf o activitie rmal s

Poor Ne ig

hbourh

OPEN FOLD

ood

Industrial Warehouses Demolished industrial sites

During the Socialists period

After 1989

2000

During the socialists period industries and apartment building were constructed to shelter industries workers and army men

Abandoned buildings attracted people (mainly Roma) that were evicted from their houses in the city centre. No new developments were made in this area (neither from public nor from the private sphere). No urban policies or plannings

Demolition of industrial sites caused constructions of low quality settlements (slums)

Before 1989 no drug gangs and criminality were observed. Streets were clean and maintenance programmes were executed on regular bases.

Lack of govermental interventions caused a degreadation of the area

Today No job opportunities - low income - informal economic activities: many apartments are used as workplaces where, for example, shoes and grave wreaths are manufactured, hair is cut for a fair price and groceries can be bought on credit. - in site entrepreneurship + flower warehouse and scrap recycling companies.


Ferentari: Precedents Study LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Policy Centre for Roma and Minorities Non-governmental, non-profit think-tank organized & founded in 2008, in Romania. Act towards solving social inclusion issues of Roma and other ethnical minorities and truly dream about a world where these issues no longer need answer. Act to empower Roma and other ethnic minorities so that they become active citizens of the society they live in. Right from the beginning we felt there were strong voices to be heard, but also a long road ahead us.

Alternative Education Club (program)

Mother’s club (Program)

The Alternative Education Club (AEC) is an open, safe, creative and challenging space created for children living in ghetto areas in the Ferentari neighbourhood in Bucharest. AEC is a non-formal education program started in 2010 in the Elementary School No. 136 and later was extended in other schools: Elementary School No. 2 (2011-2013), Elementary School No. 134 (2015), Elementary School No. 148 “George Călinescu” (2011-2016), Elementary School No. 147 “Petrache Poenaru” (since 2015), Elementary School No. 141 “I.C. Brătianu” (2016).

A group of more than 20 Roma and non-Roma women from one of the most marginalized areas of Bucharest who come together every week to put pressure on the local authorities in order to address the needs of their community. Not any kind of women – strong and determined to challenge the status quo of one of the worst ghetto type community in Bucharest where extreme poverty, structural violence, marginalization, poor educational and medical services define the constant, unbearable situation.

The Mothers’ Club aims to stimulate active citizenship Currently, the Club works with more than 200 chil- by facilitating a process in which the citizens identify dren from the Elementary School No. 136 and the the issues in their community and come up with their Elementary School No. 147 “Petrache Poenaru”, aim- own solutions to these problems by themselves. ing to empower them to break the vicious cycle of marginalization, poverty and hopelessness in which they find themselves through sports and alternative education. and e Roma h t g in r e Empow ic minorities t e hn on proti a c u d E mal Non for grams

em ant Syst li e R lf e S 27


Asociatia Komunitas Komunitas Association was established in 2006 as a laboratory for applied social sciences (sociology and anthropology) in order to generate social change and contribute to the development of solidarity among people from the media and socio-demographic backgrounds.

Over time, The team was made up of anthropologists, planners, architects, artists and teachers interested in increasing the quality of urban life through cooperation and involvement. Together we have experienced and we established new methods of non-formal education for young, urban research, community development and activation of public spaces.

Community Center Social Change

Collective Sites in Ferentari (action) These interventions took place in July 2009, during ”Our city-our decision!” – a participative planning project, which lasted 4 months and involved students from “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism and pupils from School 136 in Ferentari district, a disadvantaged and poor area of Bucharest. Although not planned from the beginning in the project, towards the end we organized collective sites in the neighborhood. School pupils and students participated in this intervention. The first place that we created with minimal resource was a bus station across Zăbrăuţi Alley, one of the city’s underprivileged areas.

Non Formal Education Programs

Actors fr om the r es city, help ing out in t of the de ment of the com velopmunity


Site Visit

Literature

Exhibition

Problem Statement

Design Aim

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Problem Statement

Similar Precedents

Strategy


Problem Statement and Aim LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Social Problems addressed:

Disconnection from the city:

Vulnerable residents Informal settlements Racial discrimination with minorities (Roma) Lack of formal jobs Educcational assistence

Physical Economic Social Political

Aim: Create Urban Commons that will aid in generating jobs and income for the neighbourhood Develop the sense of community Integrate ferentari with the city

Civic Caring City

Self Organizing City Collective Facilities

Resourcefulness Commons

2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.rri.ro/en_gb/social_projects_in_bucharests_ferentari_district-2579410> [Accessed 12 March 2020]. PCRM. 2020. Alternative Education Club (AEC) - PCRM. [online] Available at: <https://policycenter.eu/en/clubul-de-educatie-alternativa-cea/> [Accessed 12 March 2020]. Search-proquest-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org. 2020. Shibboleth Authentication Request. [online] Available at: <https://search-proquest-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/docview/2002101012?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo> [Accessed 15 Feb 2020]. UEFA.com. 2020. Football Helps Romani Youngsters Succeed In Life | Inside UEFA. [online] Available at: <https://www.uefa.com/ insideuefa/news/newsid=2627861.html> [Accessed 19 Feb 2020].

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Urban Common: Precedents Study LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Jeanne van Heeswijk Freehouse Arte Útil archive nr: 086 Initiator: Jeanne van Heeswijk Location: The Netherlands Category: pedagogical, economy, social Users: Jeanne van Heeswijk, Dennis Kaspori, the inhabitans. Maintained by: Kosmopolis Rotterdam, Fonds BKVB - Intendant Culturele Diversiteit, Stichting DOEN, Europees Fonds voor Regionale Ontwikkeling van de Europese Commissie, Pact op Zuid, Vestia, CVAH en VETRA.

Description: The project has focused on the micro-urbanism emerging in small communities across the city of Rotterdam. After a research in the Afrikanerwijk in particular, the initiators developed a foundation with the help of the residents. Freehouse comprehends 3 studios: Wijkatelier, wijkkeuken (kitchen) and wijkwinkel (shop). Here residents can share their skills and create new products in the communal workshops, which are then sold in the shop. Every activity is based on community participation, co-operative cultural production and self-organisation. Freehouse has recently developed a skill-based neighbourhood co-operative. Goals: To try and instigate projects that challenge people to play a more active part with respect to the space in which they live and work by bringing skills and qualities of local people together. Beneficial Outcomes: The sewing atelier has already received commissions from several designers to produce their clothes; the wijkkeuken has become in a catering service; all the participants are earning money for their work; the market has improved its offer and services, after a struggle against municipal rules. Images:

Duration: 2008 - ongoing

Communal Workshops Co-operative systems Self Organising

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Arte Útil archive nr: 384 Initiator: Aspra.mente, Ninanó, Orizzontale, Publink Location: Villa del Conte, Italy Category: urban-development, environment, social Users: Workers, Employees and citizens of the industrial district of Villa del Conte. Maintained by: The artists, March Foundation, LAGO s.p.a.

Aspra.mente, Ninanó, Orizzontale, Publink Piazza dell’Artigianato 0 Description: Piazza dell'Artigianato 0 aims to redevelop industrial sites, turning them into selfsustainable parks with an edible garden, realised in accordance with the rules of permaculture. Architectural structures and urban design furniture are made using waste materials provided by surrounding industries. In this green revitalised space, people can meet each other, relax, and eat the produce for free. Piazza dell'Artigianato 0 is a prototype, the purpose of which is to develop a model that can be applied in all industrial areas with the involvement of local workers and citizens. Goals: To reconstitute an unused space in the industrial district of the little town of Villa del Conte (Northern Italy) into a green, accessible and sociable place for visitors. To provide a space people can freely visit and benefit from. Beneficial Outcomes: After one month the local school decided to use the space for some events for the students. The choice was totally autonomous and spontaneous. Images:

Duration: 2013 - ongoing

Revitalizing old industrial sites Local workers and citizens actively involved in execution

as talized i v e r s u l Space comm Limina ratively run pe ace a co-o nity sp


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Strategy Create/establish Versatile Spaces to develop the ‘informal’ economic activities and community practices that already exist in the neighbourhood in order to generate jobs and incomes for the population and cater for future economic growth. Learning spaces for community to share knowledge, develope skills and encourage education. Design a Co-operative system to avoid Gentrification Urban Haat - a community run retail to help generate fund for the urban common Green Belt: Revitalization of the railway strip as a green space Public Utility Spaces: To cater for the communities basic requirements


Strategy: Point of Intervention LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Government Aid

Neighbourhood Infrastructure

Taxes

School

Slum Free

Skills

Money

Employment

ls ent of Skil m p lo e v e D citizens

No Crime

of the

Low cost itiative

in ity-driven Commun

ns l conditio ia c o s e v Impro borhood and neigh ure. t infrastruc

* Diagram based on discussions with Bucharest residents at the Exhibition and reading references as cited below Ghenciulescu, S., Dutescu, M. and Margulescu, A., 2019. The Other City. Bucharest: Zeppelin. Ec.europa.eu. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/archive/conferences/roma2013/doc/things_ that_worked.pdf> [Accessed 19 April 2020]. Asia, W., 2020. Handbook For Improving The Living Conditions Of Roma - Project Briefs. [online] Issuu. Available at: <https://issuu.com/world.bank.europe.central.asia/docs/project_briefs_roma> [Accessed 19 April 2020].

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Social and Political Connection LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Civic Center The Civic center is designed to be the social node for the community. It will house spaces for learning and skill development, employment assistance, collective agriculture, legal support, mental and physical rehabilitation, and housing assistance. It will be a self-funded, community-run center in association with other actors from the city and beyond.

The recreation center is a space for the community to gather for sports and leisure purposes. The design program for this space can be developed by the community based on its requirements over time and the availability of funds. This space is to help the young crowd divert their attention towards sports and physical activities instead of criminal activities. The adults can use this space as a healing space to help rehabilitate themselves.

Workshops The workshop is a space designed to accommodate several functions relating to small scale industries, hands-on learning, and manufacturing. The workshops run in association with the Civic center and other actors from all over the city. These workshops will help provide jobs, new skills, and aid for the people in the community. This will not only help increase employability but also be a part of the community uplifting process. The workshop will plan an active role in upgrading the sites over further phases of execution.

Urban Haat The Urban Haat is a market place for the community to sell its produces and use the profits to run the civic center and fund future developments. The Haat is located in an already developed locality, near an existing shopping mall. This helps increase the footfall into this market while also avoiding the gentrification of the ferentari region itself. The Urban Haat can sell products from the collective farm, products from the workshops and skill development, and similar services from the civic center.

OPEN FOLD

Recreation Center


Strategy

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

Education (Youth and Children) The Strategy for the education of youth and children is to provide space for learning, skill development, and access to basic spaces for physical activities like sports. This can also be supported by external actors that can help initiate activities. Education (Adults) The strategy for the education of adults is to provide a safe place for learning and skill development. This is to increase their employability and help the vulnerable get back on their feet. This connection between education and employability can help in the rehabilitation of people. Employability Spaces for small scale manufacturing for handmade practices and collective agriculture are proposed. This is to increase employment in the neighborhood. The civic center also helps people by aiding them in the process. Cultural Social and Environmental For the community practices and its culture, a platform for them to come together and practice their culture in a safe space is provided. The civic center is to act as a support center for its people to help in all sorts of matters. Housing Estimating is the future several displaced people would want a home to live in. With trained and skilled people from the neighborhood, the civic center can provide space and aid in construction.

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Civic Center

Recreation Center

Workshop

OPEN FOLD

Urban Haat

Residents Roma/Non Roma Education (Youth and Children)

Language preparations courses Handwriting/ Reading Sustainable/environmental learning

Children Youth Education (Adults)

(Re)Qualification courses preparing for employment Training sessions and apprenticeship in construction work Workshops for skills and learning development Courses for improving adult educations and literacy rates

Addicts

Employment

Workshop spaces for handmade practices Collective agriculture Jobs at the Urban Haat

Jobless Cultural, social and environmental

Job advisory service Legal support (for housing and employability) and financial counselling Household managing, family raising, health educating activities, motherhood and parenting support; mental counselling Mediation between Roma and non-Roma people Roma cultural events

Involved in crime and violence Housing

Local administration - the process of building their own houses Improving and maintenance of backyards, front yards and public spaces Low cost + local and sustainable techniques


Strategy

Group Discussion

Design doodling

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Interm Review


Design Proposal SketchUp Base Model

Finalized Design Program

Vision Plan

SketchUp Model

Final Design Proposal

SketchUp Update

Photoshop Renders


Design Proposal

LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

In the initial stages of the design, the site is proposed to host activities like the performance spaces and workshops that can teach the community the tools needed for further development. This will help in community engagement and fundraising for further developments In stage 2, a modest civic center is proposed, that can guide future development. With skilled help from the workshops, the site will be developed to house more workshops, recreational parks, community gardens, and the urban haat. In stage 3, Additional workshops to be used as small scale industries that can produce good to sell in the urban haat. Selling in an already developed locality helps avoid gentrification. The revenue generated here can then be brought back to the neighborhood for further development. In stage 4, we estimate the civic center to be fully functional with the essential education provided, help for the vulnerable, and assist in low-cost housing. In stage 5, we propose this model to function on a city scale connecting several actors and other such city-wide interventions with ferrentari. hence bringing this area and its community back on the cities social map.

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OPEN FOLD


Site 1: Rahova: North of the Rail LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS�

The Rohova region of the site is proposed to hub transport facilities that will help connect Ferrentari with the rest of the city. As an attraction for the rest of the city, we have proposed spaces for performing arts and culture. For the development of the site, workshop spaces are proposed. These workshops, over time, depending on the inflow of funds, will be developed and upgraded by the community for future construction and small scale productions

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OPEN FOLD


Site 2: Ferrentari: South of the Rail LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

In the Ferrentari part of the site, we propose to have: Community center Space for collective agriculture and leisure Recreational space green path connecting site 1 Skill development Workshops Learning Center Healing Spaces Low cost housing space Over different stage we see these facilities being upgraded based on the community’s inflow of funds and its requirements.

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OPEN FOLD


Vision: Resilient Community LIMINAL SPACES AS “URBAN COMMONS”

Reso u

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Urban Haat

Performance Space Community Farming

Self Or

Workshop

Education (Youth and Children) 49

Green Path

Education (Adults)


Community Farming

Public Park

Co

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Low Cost Housing

rganizing City y

Civic Caring Cit

Civic Center

Workshops

Community Garden

Employment

Recreation Spaces

Cultural, social and environmental

Housing


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