“ A R-urban agency have been made to pilot the implementation of the first units of Colombes in order to catalyse creation of local production-distribution cycles, network and practices about recycling, self-construction, urban agriculture and collective housing. (…) In its initiation phase the project proposes the creation of a resilient network based around three prototype production units with complementary urban functions bringing citizens emerging projects together and actively involving local people in and around Colombes:

·       AgroCité – a unit of urban agriculture which consists of a micro-experimental farm, community gardens, educational and cultural spaces and devices for energy production, composting and rainwater recycling.·

·       RecyLab – a recycling and green building constructed around a series of equipment for the recycling of urban waste and turning them into materials for eco-construction.

·       ECoHab – a residential unit, cooperative and ecological consisting of a number of experimental units and community spaces which in part are self-built.

·       AnimaLab – a domestic farm located in the Agrocité, bend of micro-structure like beehive and chicken coop. The productions are integrate in the local distribution network through the store local shop of the agrocité.” (http://r-urban.net/en/sample-page/)

The project was aimed at increasing the capacity of urban sustainabilty and resilience (self-sufficiency, production and recycling to local and regional levels, etc) on the long run. Due to political circumstances R-Urban was removed from its original area in Colombes. Nonetheless, other units of R-Urban will soon be established in different cities in France, and one of its units is already operating in London, UK.

http://www.urbantactics.org/

http://www.urbantactics.org/projects/rurban/rurban.html

http://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/37/r-urban-resilient-agencies-short-circuits-and-civic-practices-in-metropolitan-suburbs

http://www.ephemerajournal.org/contribution/r-urban-or-how-co-produce-resilient-city

Contact : info@r-urban.net
And Doina Petrescu, architect, Professor University of Sheffield, aaa d.petrescu@sheffield.ac.uk

TaMaLaCá (Tutta Mia La Cittá, meaning ‘the city is all mine’) is about citizens reconquering public spaces, namely the empowerment of vulnerable groups such as children, people with disability, women, between others. Citizens are driven to influence the betterment of urban space for present and future generations through engaging with urban regeneration projects with urban games and other collaborative tactics. TaMaLaCá celebrates and supports urban diversity and the right to the city.

https://issuu.com/tamalaca/docs/presentazione_flpp_cascais2013

http://eprints.uniss.it/10488/1/Idini_P_Strada_come_progetto_di_pdfa.pdf

http://www.tamalaca.uniss.it/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tamalaca/

Contact : INFO@TAMALACA.COM

The Bridge Street project is part of a long programme of projects in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland looking at engaging local communities in participative planning and renewing a sense of civic pride in rural town centers. It evolved out of a series of participative research projects initiated by Callan based curators looking at ways of encouraging active and creative citizenship.

Various community workshops took place with different citizens and also local schools to re-imagine the street as a civic space, attentive to space and the stories that could possibly generate a legacy for the town. Workshops included activities such as sewing and costume design, electrics and lighting, sound engineering, painting, and carpentry.

The project culminated in the collective regeneration of the street with painted façades, assembling of urban furniture, and the performance of a mobile play that led the audience to rediscover idle buildings and spaces in the street. This occurred during the annual arts festival in Callan (Abhainn Ri Festival- a community led event of inclusion and participation) which provides a platform for the creative energy within the town to be expressed and gives a chance for the town’s residents to attend events, participate in the ongoing conversations about shared spaces within the town and become invested in the direction and process of change.

The project was used as an experimental vehicle for architectural interventions in public space, commissioning artists and architects to work with local people to develop and test new infrastructure and resources for the town.

https://www.studioweave.com/projects/bridge-street/