CITY MAKERS SUMMIT 27 - 30 MAY 2016 CITY EXPEDITION GUIDE ROTTERDAM:
RAPPORT
0 3 7 2 E P O NEW EUR MAY 2016
Y T I C S R E K A M T I M SUM organised by:
Partners of the Day: AFRI KAANDER WIJK CO-OP
City in the Making
Re:Kreators Meet-up Rotterdam City Makers Summit: City Expedition Rotterdam Meeting the aspiring Re:Kreators, of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and beyond. Re:Kreators of Rotterdam With two days left to go until the Summit, the European City Makers divided themselves over ten dutch cities. Sixty of them chose Rotterdam, to learn and share their city making knowledge and to explore the possibilities of our rising network: the Re:Kreators. We were joined by none less than the president of the European Commission of the Region, Markku Markkula. The Re:Kreators are a European network of city (re)makers, like ZOHO in Rotterdam, Holzmarkt in Berlin and many others. The Re:Kreators find commonalities in their alternative approach to area (re)development. We strive to enable sustainable, social and co-creative urban area development following fair principles. Our aim is to share our knowledge between our fellow members and to join our voices to strengthen our position throughout Europe.
City excusrion on bike
On May 28th the Re:Kreators came together with aspiring members, in Rotterdam. During the day we exchanged thoughts and experiences. We visited several undergoing initiatives in Rotterdam, such as: Marconia, Made in 4havens, and the Hoogkwartier. Some of these projects were initiated by current Re:Kreators members, but we also met several new city (re)makers, which will hopefully support the network in the future. During the excursions the initiators presented their projects. Also they included the participants into their thoughts processes for the future of their projects. During this, many questions arose on a variation of different topics. These discussions were latter integrated into workshops, at ZOHO. During these workshops we examined challanges such as financing, organisation, and the relationship between bottom level and top level of the governance system. During the workshops, we had the honor to receive the European delegation of Mr. Markku Markkula who reflected on our questions and on our findings. This is a rapport on the discussions, conclusions and questions which arose on the 28th of May.
Discussion: The challange of financing One of the most prominent debate topics during the workshops, was money. City Makers in general, and Re:Kreators in particular, are not ‘in it for the money’. The whole purpose of the movement is to create a sustainable alternative to traditional city development. And the main critique for that traditional form of development is that it is too focused on money. However, thought we focus our development in creating value for people, we can not extract ourselves from the monetary system completely. Though City Making is substantially cheaper than old-fashioned master-plan development, it is not ‘free’. City making requires time and resources. Re:Kreators are already acchiving positive impacts for local communities. They create jobs, culture, art and improved public spaces. They do this, by organising and connecting people. Bringing together entrepreneurial and stimulating them to work co-operate and co-create new businesses, functions, and activities. These mediating activities take a lot of time an effort. Though the activities of these people are vital for the regeneration of deprived urban areas, they are still hardly recognised by authorities nor private parties. Like one of our Re:Kreators said to Markku Markkula:
‘We created the jobs, it is just that the jobs are not being paid.’ The lack of money has a crippling effect on the projects. It is not just that Re:Kreators need money for their own time and effort. More importantly, money is needed for investments in experimentation and expansion.
Getting recognition The problem of money, is strongly related to recognition. The organising approach of the Re:Kreators, can be hard to see from a governmental point of view. This has a lot to do with the governments - and private party’s - inexperience in city making. We are aware that we should not try to solve this by holding our hands up towards the governments. If the Re:Kreators want recognition and payment for their efforts, they need to be adopted by the society as whole. In order to do that we have indicated what we think must change in the organisations and stakeholders with which we are now working. Clients Clients should share the outputs of our activities with their colleagues and partners. So as to make our work more know in their respective professional fields. Communities Should be more aware of the value of City Makers, and try to compensate for their efforts. This is not only important for the Re:Kreators to continue work, but also to retain his or her ‘neutral’ position in the stakeholder relationship. Municipalities Should realise that Re:Kreators and City Makers are in fact ‘doing their jobs’. Therefore local municipalities should make as much of effort as possible to facilitate for our projects. This means monetary compensation, but also flexible regulations, and more importantly coorporation.
Re:Kreators The Re:Kreators themselves also have a big role to play. They need to organise their network in order to gain recognition from society. The Re:Kreators should have a portfolio of projects, so that future clients (read: communities, municipalities, private parties) can get an impression on what to expect when a Re:Kreators is activated. The network should act as consulting service for governments and private parties. They should show the establishment the possibilities of City Making, and put local authorities in contact with residing Re:Kreators and City Makers.
Reflections of Markku Markkula After the workshops, there was a moment for reflection for the President of the CoR. A brief account of his reflections and conclusions follows here. Markkula’s reflections on conclusions of the day was positive. Markkula agreed to the importance of mediators(read: City Makers or Re:Kreators) in the process of urban regeneration. However, he also stressed the crucial importance of the local communities of cities. Deprivation is not only countered by mediators, but also by a community that feels capable of taking matters into their own hands. The people need to shape their own environments.
Markku Markkula visits
ZOHO, and gets a tour by Jeroen Laven
Markkula argued that this is possible through the large body of knowledge which lies embedded within networks such as the Re:Kreators and the City Makers. The most important thing to do then, therefore it should be a priority to make our knowledge accessible to the greater public. The accessibility of knowledge and ‘know-how’ is a great factor in the facilitation of community led projects. This is why open source networks are so important for the future of our cities. Another key point for the president, was the accessibility of the CoR. Questions arose from the audience on what kind of cooperative or organisations the CoR would deem worthy of investment. Markulla responded with the sympathetic line:
‘we are not interested in what you do with the money, we are interested in your impact.’ - Markkula
Excursion to the Hoogkwartier
The CoR and the EU realise that initiatives such as those of the Re:Kreators are far to varied and context related to be regulated from an international stand point. Markkula therefore made the case for flexibility and reduced bureaucracy. According to him the EU looks for three crucial elements: 1. Regional specialisation, and collaboration between specialised regions 2. Entrepreneurial spirit, and competitiveness 3. Fully functioning market
As long as initiatives support these desires, they can gain the support of the governing bodies of the EU. It is looking back on the reflections of the President of the CoR, we can state that the goals of the EU share many commonalities with those of the Re:Kreators. And we think our first encounter with the president is promising for future collaborations. We hope to build upon the contacts we made to further extend the positive impact of the Re:Kreators on Europe’s cities.The acknowledgment of city makers inside the Urban Agenda – Pact of Amsterdam signed on May 30 is an encouragement. However, since a critical Markkula’s recognition of but there is still a long to put it in the words of
mass is lacking the journey is far from done. our role in urban regeneration is encouraging, way to go before city making practices are Markkula - truly mainstream.
For anyone interested in joining our ideals, we look forward on becoming a re:Kreator member.
The closer at the IABR.
Participants of the 28ste of May Name
Surname
Organisation
City
Dominiquea
Almeida
Amsterdam
Jos
Arends
Studio Ck9 + Open leercentra ROC
Unige
Bagdi
-
Amsterdam
Milan
Bcik
IPR Prague
Prague
Sylvine
Bois-Choussy
Paris
Jonas
Büchel
European network of cultural centers
Valentina
Coletta
Rotterdam-Roma
Mindaugas
Danys
valentina coletta_studio slug
Stan
De Kanter
Popup World
Amsterdam
Ann
Dom
Viccaro
Mauro Dominika
Maarten Vivian Paul
Francisco Alexandros
Alessandro
Baioni Belanska
Desmet
Bratislava
Urban Institute, Riga
Riga
Vilnius Urban Garden
Vilnius
Antwerpen
University of Seville
Seville
Pakhuis de Zwijger
Amsterdam
Bela Rua
Rotterdam
Pakhuis de Zwijger
Amsterdam
Filippidis
Grauvogel
Jeniffer
Heemann
Coen
Hermans
Heeringa
Karen
Hierqeus
Toon
Jansen
Marte
Kappert
Hans
Karssenberg
David
Kaspar
Nicholas
Rome
Fernández Rodríguez
Christian
Erik
Jelde Mesto
Almere
stipo
Elleswijk
Ghiabi
Toon
De stadsambassade van Almere
Rotterdam
Doumpa
Khashayar
IJsbrand
Freelancer
Jansen
Jutten
KarachalisS
HAVENSTEDER
rotterdam
SEYN - Sustainable Athens Energy Youth Network
Mörchenpark e.V. / re:Kreators
Berlin
Stipo
Delft
stadmakers & co (Almere)
Brussels Almere
stadmakers & co
Almere
marconia
rotterdam
Stipo, re:Kreators and The City at Eye Level
Amsterdam
city in the making
University of Thessaly - Refill URBACT
Prague Creative
rotterdam
Athens
Prague
Robert
Klaassen
Drechtstadsboer
Benjamin
Knödler
Veronika
Kovacsova
Free lance journalist
Ariane
Lelieveld
Jeroen
Laven
Jan
Lemmers
Alexandru
Matei
Reka
Matheiden
Tiago
Mota Saraiva
Irina
Paraschivoiu
Marta
Iryna
Marc
López-Marcos
Matsevko
neelen
Daniela
Patti
Dries
Perborde
Nicolas
Pieri
Hanna
Pintusava
Robert
Ploem
Levente
Polyak
Veerle
Rigter
Ines
Ania
Laura Roman
Marion Jan
Charlot
Peborde
Pilipenko
Popplow Romanets Roussel Rydén
Schans
Janna
Schlender
Martine
Sluijs
Marco
Stout
Maria
Dahlia Annet
Sitzoglou
Soliman Struik
Gustavo Alberto
Tánori Rivera
Gert Jan
te Velde
Ebami
Tom
Hanne
van Gils
Samantha
van den Bos
Dordrecht, Netherlands Berlin
Paradocks
Vienna
Ariquitectura, advies in gezonde zelfvoorzienende woningen en wijken
Rotterdam
stipo
rotterdam
ZOHO
Rotterdam
Cubicsphere / Stipo
Bucharest / Rotterdam
Center for Urban History in Lviv (Ukraine)
Lviv
Universidad de Sevilla
EUREKA
Seville
Budapest
rekreators
Lisbon
Odaia Creativa / Urban INC
Bucharest
stealth
rotterdam
Eutropian
Budapest
Pakhuis de Zwijger
Rotterdam
Guk
Berlin
Bioclimatic Cities Lab
Pau (France)
CAP ou pas cap
Paris
IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Minsk, Belarus
Eutropian / KÉK
Budapest
Studio Davoo
Rotterdam
MATRIX CONSULTANTS
AMSTERDAM
co.city lab
Mainz/Germany
AVR Development CAP ou pas cap? FÄRGFABRIKEN Pakhuis de Zwijger
Lviv
Paris
stockholm Amsterdam
Mörchenpark e.V.
Berlin
Pip&partners
Utrecht
stout/kramer
rotterdam
Resilient Thessaloniki stipo
Institute for Designing Social Impact None
Vanschagen Architecten
made in 4 havens ShareNL
Thessaloniki
rotterdam Leiden
Mexicali, Baja California. Mexico. Rotterdam rotterdam Amsterdam
Annet
van Otterloo
freehouse
rotterdam
Michiel
van Wickeren
DeDeelkelder
Utrecht
Ellen
Verbiest
We kopen samen de oudaan
Antwerpen
Bjørn
Margriet
van Raaij
Vd Heijden
Anne Sofie
Verheyen
Anamaria
Vrabie
Pieter
Wieringa
Philipp
Winter
Piet
Friso
Marta
Bouwdewijn Genea
vollaard
Wiersum
Zakowska
Canelles
Zeewaardig Service Design Elisabeth groen
city in the making
Rotterdam
Amersfoort
rotterdam
Urban Insights Center
Bucharest
European Cultural Foundation
Utrecht
Holzmarkt Berlin Magazyn Miasta (Cities Magazine), Res Publica Vechtclub Student
Brasov
Berlin Warsaw
Re:Kreators manifesto 1
We, the members of re:Kreators community, are people and initiatives who want to enable sustainable, social and participative urban area development following fair principles. We believe in a way of living in the city that is inspiring, affordable and just. We create thoughtful, fun, meaningful and inclusive places that lift the spirits. We create ruptures and alternatives in people’s imagination about how a city could be, through space and collective ownership models.
2 We create value: increase of mental, physical and emotional usability of quality urban space. We use existing resources, energy and qualities. We look for true, permanent change and commitment. We are open source. We share our knowledge to inspire others.
3 We see urban development in the interest of the people who live there and work in community-based, participative and inclusive ways. Diverse groups feel at home in and feel ownership over our places – mentally, emotionally and in the say they have in the future of the area.
Objectives of the re:Kreators Association To connect
To create a European platform to connect, inspire and multiply re:Kreators around European cities. To improve the established re:Kreator projects. To develop sustainable structures among the partners of the network, and share them, open source, to help new projects come about through shared thinking. To make re:Kreators’ knowhow and experience accessible to others.
To strengthen To make re:Kreators’ position throughout Europe stronger, among others by driving interest in the values (social, cultural, environmental, economical) of re:Kreators initiatives. To make these values more tangible and visible in order to improve understanding and working relations between initiatives and institutions.
To act To create a continuous dialogue between stakeholders of urban development and decision makers. To influence the urban agenda of governments locally, nationally and on the EU-level. To improve understanding and working relations between initiatives and institutions. To match with possible investors. To create a permanent network of city makers.
Join Re:Kreators network
If you would like to join the re:Kreators network, please fill the information about your organization or area on www.rekreators.eu or send a mail to rekreators@stipo.nl. We will contact you about further steps, as soon as we review your application.