Reimagining Spaces

Reimagining spaces is a pivotal ability in urban regeneration. Urban regeneration thrives to make a community sustainable, where people enjoy living in and have a sense of belonging, which pulls them together to aim for the best of their future. It’s a continuum and long-term process of dialogue with different stakeholders, strategic vision and planning. This module also aims to demonstrate significance and opportunities of empty spaces and industrial heritage for the future development of cities.

We challenge you to embrace the following exercises, journal them and if you feel to, to share content on social media networks your participation, by using the following hashtags: #regenerationchallenges #acric

What’s in it for me?
  • I’ll understand the importance of individual participation in the public realm regeneration’s decision process;
  • I’ll recognise the importance of the history and collective memories for the future revitalisation of an area;
  • I’ll name opportunities for empty spaces and the significance of industrial monuments for the cultural heritage of cities;
  • I’ll examine industrial monuments or empty spaces surroundings and I’ll develop creative future solutions for them;
  • I’ll master skills and confidence to participate in revitalisation decision making;
  • I’ll stimulate my own visioning abilities and a common shared vision;

What are we going to do with all that space?

Vacant lots, brownfields, abandoned industrial buildings - eyesore or untapped opportunity? Let's get creative and think about how these spaces and buildings can be reimagined. By completing this challenge, you’ll demonstrate significance and opportunities of empty spaces and industrial heritage for the future development of cities.

What will I learn?

  • Community Engagement

What will I need?

  • Map
  • Internet connection

Instructions

Would you like to go on an expedition with us?

  1. Look at the pictures. They show former industrial sites in Germany (Zeche Zollverein in Essen, Förderbrücke F60, Beelitz Heilstätten, Tempelhofer Feld, Hüttenwerk Duisburg-Meiderich).
  2. Take part in the quiz and think about what could have become of these sites. We have given you three options, choose the one you think is correct.
  3. Check your answers to see what happened to these sites and whether your choice was correct.

Quiz: https://forms.gle/Wd8n4ApUL1wRkZSe8

What are your thoughts?

Think about what industrial sites or brownfield sites there are in your city.
What could be done with them?
What do you lack?
Who could you get in touch with to find out more about these sites?

Task: Find a Lost Place in your city

Take a look at the map of your city or go for a walk. Where are there lost places in your city that are nevertheless indispensably linked to the city's history?

First of all, try to find out as much information as possible about the building. What did it look like in the past, who worked here and on what? Talk to contemporary witnesses, archivists or employees of the city and the museum.

What could you imagine doing with the site? Collect ideas and exchange them with friends and family to work on proposals together. Look for inspiration in your region. Are there good examples of reused or "reimagined" industrial monuments?

Then find out if there are plans for the use of the site in your city and who the municipal contact is. With whom could you discuss your suggestions and ideas? Architects? City History Society? Office for urban planning? Find like-minded people to work out an idea together.

Collective Memories

Collective memory is an immaterial heritage and a pivotal element for the regeneration of historic settings. You will contribute with personal narratives/mental images to the collective identification of personal memories tied to a particular place, activity or industry.

What will I learn?

  • Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills
  • Digital Communication
  • Community Engagement

What will I need? In person setting:

  • PC/laptop
  • Internet connection
  • Projector
  • Projection screen/wall
Online setting:
  • Internet connection
  • PC/laptop
  • Mobile phone

Instructions

This exercise can be done after the previous one, with the same group of people. Disregard the first steps, if you’re going to use it as a prolongation of the“Special Place”.

  1. Chose an abandoned place of your city that you’d like to see regenerated that is significant for your community;
  2. Set up an account on Slido. See the videos of instructions on how to use Slido and how to set up an event at a remote meeting, create an event and then start building questions;
  3. Use an open text pool and write some questions, for example, “What memories do you have about this place?”, “Share any special story that you have lived here”.
  4. Add music, videos, photos or other elements that insight the participants about the memories they have attached to the place;
  5. Invite a group of friends and acquaintances from your network for dwelling on the past session;
  6. Start with an ice-breaking game of your choice;
  7. Encourage them to answer the questions;
  8. Show the results in real time to group and discuss with group;

Extra: Organise together an exhibition upon the results of the session; Extend this collaborative mechanism to all members of the community and further organise an event to share what you all have learned about the place.

What are your thoughts?

In your opinion, do memories have a collective nature?
Are they relevant for reshaping new spaces? To what extent?
Do you consider that collective memories have a role in improving social participation? How has this challenge contributed to formulating the opinion you have? Has it changed after participating in this challenge?

Future Vision

Future visioning helps with goal setting and action-taking. In this exercise, we’ll stimulate your envisioning abilities to generate a common shared vision or an idea/plan for the time to come in a special place of your community.

What will I learn?

  • Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills
  • Community Engagement

What will I need? In person setting:

Instructions

Are there any vacant, derelict buildings or outdoor spaces in your city? Choose one of your preference, read these instructions first and embrace this challenge and start envisioning a different reality for it, as detailed as possible.

You’ll be guided through a daydream experience. Use headphones or headset to help you immerse in other reality. Play this video or another of your choice that you might find relaxing and inspiring and then download the instructions and read them before you start.

What are your thoughts?

In your opinion, what’s the hidden potential of this place?
Were you able to gain insight and clarity about the place?
Do you consider your visions could be considered a baseline for participatory community planning?
Do you feel more empowered, confident and hopeful about the future with this exercise?
Share your knowledge and showcase your city's industrial heritage on social media.

Special place

You’ll contribute to the collective identification of emotional attachments to a particular place, unravel potential array of community’s emotional bonds of a place and instigate reflection about place-based emotions and the importance of pondering them when undertaking urban revitalization.

What will I learn?

  • Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills
  • Digital Communication

What will I need? In person setting:

  • PC/laptop
  • Internet connection
  • Projector
  • Projection screen/wall
Online setting:
  • Internet connection
  • PC/laptop
  • Mobile phone

Instructions

Would you like to go on an expedition with us?

  1. Chose an abandoned place of your city that you’d like to see regenerated that is significant for your community;
  2. Set up an account on Slido. See the videos of instructions on how to use Slido and how to set up an event at a remote meeting, create an event and then start building questions;
  3. Be as creative as you can about the polls you create to capture others’ feelings towards the place. You can use emojis, sketches.
  4. Suggestion: create a multiple choice poll and write: “Which is the first emotion or feeling you usually experience when you pass by this place?”. Then give a list of options, such as: “Disappointment, Nostalgia, Bitterness, Embarrassment, Refreshment, Indifference, Joy, etc.”.
  5. Add music, videos, photos or other elements that insight the participants about the feelings bounded to the place;
  6. Invite a group of friends and acquaintances from your network for dwelling on the past session;
  7. Start with an ice-breaking game of your choice;
  8. Encourage them to answer the questions;
  9. Show the results in real time to group and discuss with group;

Extra: Organise together an exhibition upon the results of the session; Extend this collaborative mechanism to all members of the community and further organise an event to share what you all have learned about the place.

What are your thoughts?

Have you ever wondered about the relevance of this place to others?
Reflect about the importance of this place and its features. Did you find any consistency about the emotions the place triggers in people? What can you all do about it