El-Houma Khir_Tunisia 2017

EL-HOUMA KHIR Co-Designing inclusive public Spaces ‫الحومةخير‬ ‫تصميم تشاركي للفظاءات العامة الشاملة‬

2017 Report - Phase I Prepared by Oecumene Studio

“First day I came to the workshop I was terrified and I

didn’t know what to do. I felt like everyone was an architect and I wanted to go home. But I rethought the situation and didn’t go home and today I have learned new things that would help me in the future life specially the new amazing people I have met. Just want to thank you guys for these unforgettable days.

“ ( Rayen Touati - 19 YEARS OLD - THE MEDINA OF TUNIS)

: El-Houma Khir - ‫الحومة خري‬

STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP I THE OPENING EVENT: The Closing ceremony

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For An Inclusive Public Space

El-Houma Khir Workshop 1 The Workshop PHASE1:Introductory Session and Team Building 2 Days

Venue: Dar Lasram 2 (El-Rachidya Association House) La Medina of Tunis 24 - 25 Juillet 2017 This phase included the opening session and introduction of the project’s objectives and participants as well as the approach of the project’s workshop that focused on linking research and knowledge to practice. Readings were distributed (continued all along the workshop) on which participants could reflect on and debate during the workshop. The introductory session included a short word from Madame Faika Bejaoui one of the most prominent experts on the Medina of Tunis who has worked for more than thirty years in from ASM (Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis - Association for the protection of the medina of Tunis). This was followed by the first ac-

tion / task which was the sensitive discovery of the Medina of Tunis through walking with Doolesha.

The Doolesha team prepared a series of 6 itineraries based on prepared cards with hints for El-Houma Khir workshop, the participants in each group, followed the hint to find the place in the city. This exercise built ties between the participants as well developing another way to perceive spaces and to be guided by hints and people met during their tours.

The participants came back to the studio where we had feedback session from each group. Before the kick-off of the task/Exercise cards were distributed to all participants where we requested them to write/draw their first impressions. We collected these cards on which we indented to reflect upon the next day. *DOOLESHA is a small collective project consisting mainly of architects. Our aim is to share our view of the Medina of Tunis, ancient city and explore a hidden side of the medina, where modern lives mingle with 1500 years of history. Our tours are not walking textbooks; we blend stories, old and new, with architecture, artisanal crafts, and modern medina life to give you a comprehensive understanding of this UNESCO World heritage site and the people who live there.

>Meeting with Doolesha Team to prepare itineraries for the first phase of the workshop

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Doolesha itineraries: Groupe 1: >Stop 1: Square Kasbah >Stop 2: Sidi Mehrez >Stop 3: Café Sidi Ameur >Stop 4: Souk Groupe 2: >Stop 1: : Square Kherba >Stop 2: Houmet l’Anadalus >Stop 3: Café Hafsia >Stop 4: Souk Sidi Mehrez Groupe 3: >Stop 1: : Square Bab Souika >Stop 2: Rue Sidi Mfarej >Stop 3: Café Porte de France >Stop 4: Souk El Blat Groupe 4: >Stop 1: : Square Porte de France >Stop 2: Rue El Marr >Stop 3: Café Beb Souika >Stop 4: Souk El Chaouachia

For An Inclusive Public Space

Groupe 5: >Stop 1: : Square Ksar >Stop 2: Rue Saida Ajoula >Stop 3: Café Chaouachiine >Stop 4: Souk Sidi Mehrez Groupe 6: >Stop 1: : Square Kheireddine >Stop 2: Makhzen Beb Souika >Stop 3: Café Ben Mnara >Stop 4: Souk Serrajine Total of 21 Cards designed, printed and distributed to participants.

> Doolesha - El Houma Khir Itineraries Cards

> Doolesha - El Houma Khir Itineraries Cards - Few Examples

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>Arrival and Registration and distribution of first readings

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>Arrival and Registration and distribution of first readings >Discovering the Medina from insolite places

>Kick-off of Doolesha Itineraries

>Discovering the Medina

>Intuitive and sensitive reading of the Medina

>First Impressions >Intuitive and sensitive reading of the Medina >Intuitive and sensitive reading of the Medina

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>Discussion with local community

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>Debate Session

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>Thematic reading of the medina of Tunis and its public spaces

>Thematic reading of the medina of Tunis and its public spaces

>Thematic reading of the medina of Tunis and its public spaces

>Thematic reading of the medina of Tunis and its public spaces

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For An Inclusive Public Space

The second day started with the previously distributed cards. We let the participants read them randomly. This session incited them to debate about the different impressions they got. It shows the different reading of places and in particular highlighted the difference between the inhabitant’s perspective of their area and those who are not. They highlighted the diversity of usages, the problem of solid waste management and the different appropriation of space, the predominance of cars and the problem of security (highlighted more by female participants, not feeling well in certain streets). From this session, we came up with a list of key words from which we derived four themes. This time the participants were divided randomly in four groups according to the four main themes and sent back to the field where this time they visited the Medina through a constructed reading of its places.

The fours themes are: 1- Senses 2-Heritage and collective memory 3-Appropriation process of spaces 4-The user and the space >Participants work

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The Workshop PHASE2:Criterias of selectiona and choice of site of inteventions: 2 days

Venue: Dar Lasram 2 (El-Rachidya Association House) La Medina of Tunis 26 / 27 Juillet 2017 The third day started by a 45-minutes group work where each group prepared its work from the previous day.

The participants were very active and the debates were very fruitful. Presentations included photos, videos, interviews with inhabitants and passersby and diagrams. Important outputs arisen concerning the Medina spaces and the different groups started questioning the notion and concept of public space in the Tunisian context and in particular the Medina. The day ended with a recreational event: A Frekasse Party (Traditional Tunisian food) on the roof of Dar Ben Gacem where the participants built ties and got more aquatinted.

>Participants work

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For An Inclusive Public Space

>Hand sketching by Farah Ben Mansour - The Studio

>Group work and preparation for presentation

>Group work and preparation for presentation

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>Group work and preparation for presentation

>Presentations and Debates

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For An Inclusive Public Space

>Presentations and Debates >Social Gathering - Building the Team

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Day 4 started with a team building activity followed by an interactive session including input regarding: social, cultural and physical factors affecting public spaces, the polysemique nature of the word and different theories concerning the notion of Public Space from Kant, Hebermas, H.Arendt and F.Choay and Lefevre to the late chart of UN-HABITAT defining the concept of Public space. They have been introduced to the two main definitions of public space that defined by the state and the other by urban planners (Espace public vs Espaces Publiques) and the intersection of this topic with the notion of public realm and the right to the city. We ended the interactive session with the introduction of the next task/ exercise. The participants were divided in three groups. Each group had to define 3 main criteria of selection and give a weight for each criteria.

Continuous tutoring was given during this session helping the groups to understand the meaning of criteria and what is the difference between a design criteria (expressing a need of desire) and the

For An Inclusive Public Space

criteria of selection (reflecting more on a term of challenge) After the group work session we gathered all the criteria and through a collaborative and interactive session, evaluate all the criteria and finally came up with the main ones. Based on the final list of criteria each group went back to the street and for an hour and half searched for 3 sites that correspond to their criteria. At the end of the day, each group presented their findings and again through an intensive debate session the sites were evaluated according to the criteria to avoid manipulation and top-down site selection. All participants and team members participated in the voting and the selection of sites including some of the medina inhabitants who were keener to vote for their areas.

Finally we came up with three main sites of reflection and design: 1-Sidi Chiha Area-Hafsia 2-The steps of Al-Zitouna Mosque 3-The square of Masjed El-Koba All three sites were different and complex and represents each an interesting case-study.

>The three selected sites - source map: Google 2017

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>Group Work: Criteria of Selection

>Selection of sites

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>Group Work: Preparation for Field work

>Group Work: Criteria of Selection

>Presentation of selected sites and debates

>Presentation of selected sites and debates

>Voting process and prioritization

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For An Inclusive Public Space

PHASE3:Outreach Strategy, Participatory Sessions & Introduction to participatory design 3 days

Venue:La Medina of Tunis (Three selected ones) Dar Lasram 2 (El-Rachidya Association House) Dar El-Harka 28/31/01 The fifth day (Friday 28th) was fully conducted in the studio.

We had an input session followed by a debate concerning the participatory approach.

Definitions, key theories and tools as well as strategies and different types of participation were discussed. We had as well an introduction about the difference between participatory and collaborative approaches. We projected and discussed a selection of videos about participatory design projects around the world. All along the day, the participants commented, and interacted with the materials shared and we were able to have a question/answer session by the end of the day.

In-Clusive?

Public spaces for whom?

Are controlled spaces potentially public?

What is the common good?

Public space as urban space: How is it practiced and appropriated ? >Ladder of citizen participation, Arnstein (1969)

What is a public interest?

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>In-put session about the concept of participation and community mobilization approaches

>Role Play exercice, understanding interests and power relationships

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For An Inclusive Public Space

>In-put session about the concept of participation and community mobilization approaches

>Screening of a selection of community development projects

Participants were divided in three teams according to their skills, ages and backgrounds as well as gender for more homogenous groups. Saturday and Sunday were for more team buildings and ice-breaking through café gatherings and cultural events spontaneously prepared and organized by the participants and team members themselves.

The following three days took place on site. Dar-El Harka was at the disposal of participants and their teams to gather and meet. During these three days the participants supported by their teams, developed and implemented their approaches to co-design with the local communities. They learned from the field and from interaction with the inhabitants. On the fourth day, the groups presented their journey; their work; design outputs and all the proposals were discussed by all participants and team members.

Groupe 1 : - Mosquée El Kobbah - Torbet El Bey 1-Lassad Ben Yahia 2-Rayan Toumati 3-Kolsi Leila 4-Guizani Oumeyma 5-Nabila Zammali* 6-Mohamed Azize 7-Dridi Waddah 8-Asma Sekmani 9-Sophie Bergmann 10- Abouda Rzeigui Groupe 2: Sidi Chiha 1-Hamoudi Taboubi 2-Yazidi Aziza 3-Soussi Rahma 4-Menaâ Heni 5-Chawki Lahmar 6-Ghassen Louati 7-Koutheir Brigui 8-Nawel Ben Haj Salah 9-Islem Dhouibi 10-Mariem Brahmi Groupe 3: Marches Mosquée Zitouna 1-Habbej Fares 2-Fares Sfaichi 3-Oumeima El Fekih 4-Maissa Chiboub 5-Guesmi Emna 6-Jihene Chebbi 7-Beshir Riabi 8-Salem Bellil 9-Yosra BEN SALAH 10-Yosr Mzougui

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>Application of participation methods and Consultation of the local community and analysis of the framework at the three sites

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>Application of participation methods and Consultation of the local community and analysis of the framework at the three sites

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>Application of participation methods and Consultation of the local community and analysis of the framework at the three sites & Intervention strategy design with the local community

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>-Questioning and presenting the results of the interaction with the community

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For An Inclusive Public Space

> Intervention strategy design with the local community

> Preparation of the final results at Dar El Harka

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> Preparation of the final results at Dar El Harka

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EL-HOUMA KHIR

For An Inclusive Public Space

The Opening Event: Closing ceremony

The Workshop PHASE4:Exhibition preparation and Opening Ceremony:

Venue: Dar El Harka El Rachidia association House La Medina of Tunis Preparation: From the 5th to the 10th of August Opening Ceremony : 11th of August

During the workshop period, we continued our outreach strategy. The project was presented at a civil society meeting with Tunis municipality and all the participants were invited to attend the opening ceremony on Friday the 11th.

The date was judged to be the suitable day for such an event to guarantee the attendance of governmental bodies. Surprisingly, during the preparation period, the teams continued to work on site, invited the inhabitants to their event and prepared their presentations for the opening.

They demonstrated their commitment to their sites and social ties were created with the local communities. The team of Journal de la Medina also prepared the El-Houma Khir special edition to be launched at the opening.

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>Meeting with the Municipality and civil societies working in the Medina of Tunis

The opening ceremony took place on Friday the 11 of August at La Rachidia Association Headquarter (La Rachidia is an artistic and cultural association specialized in Tunisian music. It was created on 3 November 1934 by the intellectual, political and artistic elite led by Mustapha Sfar Sheikh el Medina of Tunis at that period). The participants helped insetting up the exhibition.

The event included an exhibition showing the workshop process, activities and project proposals, the launching and distribution of Journal de La Medina special edition as well as a public presentation session by the participants themselves.

We also distributed the certificates of participation. Representatives from the Municipality of Tunis, as well as the civil society were present during the event.

> Preparation of the Exhibition

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For An Inclusive Public Space

> Presentation of findings by the participants and promotion of their projects ideas > Exhibition and distribution of Journal de la Medina Special Issue

> Closing Ceremony - Speech by the director of La Rachidia and Mrs Faika Bejaoui

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> Distribution of Certificates > Presentation of findings by the participants and promotion of their projects ideas

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>Exhibition and open buffet

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For An Inclusive Public Space

>Exhibition and open buffet

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El-Houma Khir Phase II - Coming Soon