A translocal journey of increasing access to and resilience of the Danube, Senne and Rječina by creating vibrant points-of-access by, for and with communities.
Many European cities and towns are shaped by rivers, yet climate change and urban pressures strain these waterscapes. Rivers are detached from both citizens and nature, worsening ecological challenges or succumbing to gentrification. While strategies exist, the potential of rivers and canals to foster resilience, social cohesion and sustainable urban living remains underused.
Waterside Voices aims to reclaim urban rivers and canals for, by and with the communities living by their shores. Communities whose visions and involvement are crucial for needs-based action. Through participatory research and design in Brussels, Rijeka and Budapest, three resilient interventions will turn the Danube, Rječina, and Senne into vibrant hubs - incubating green and blue skills and shaping long-term plans. On a transnational scale, a shared and adaptable digital platform that documents urban waterscape renewal across Europe will be developed, alongside workshops and discursive formats.
Helyszínek közötti utazás a Duna, a Senne és a Rječina hozzáférhetőségének és ellenállóképességének növelésére, a helyi közösségek részére és velük közösen létrehozott, élénk kapcsolódási pontok megteremtésével.
Számos európai várost és települést folyók alakítottak, azonban a klímaváltozás és a városi terhelések megviselik a vízeinket. A folyók elidegenednek az emberektől és a természettől egyaránt, súlyosbítva az ökológiai kihívásokat vagy utat engedve a dzsentrifikációnak. Bár stratégiák léteznek rá, a folyók és csatornák azon lehetőségei, hogy a városok ellenállóképességét, a társadalmi összetartozást és fenntartható élethez hozzájáruljanak, még mindig kihasználatlanok.
A Waterside Voices célja, hogy visszaadja a városi folyókat és csatornákat azoknak, akik a partjukon élnek, az ő részvételükkel. A környékbeli közösségek víziója és részvétele kulcsfontosságúak a szükségleteken alapuló cselekvéshez. A Brüsszelben, Rijekában és Budapesten végzett részvételi kutatás és tervezés révén három beavatkozás alakítja majd a Dunát, a Rječinat és a Sennét élénk központokká - elősegítve a városi "zöld és kék" tudások fejlesztését, és hosszú távú terveket formálva. Egy digitális platform is létrejön, amely a városi vizes élőhelyek megújulását dokumentálja Európa-szerte, a workshopok és beszélgetések mellett.
Translokalno putovanje povećanja pristupa i otpornosti rijeka Dunav, Senne i Rječine stvaranjem dinamičnih točaka pristupa za, od strane i s zajednicama.
Mnogi europski gradovi i mjesta oblikovani su rijekama, no klimatske promjene i urbani pritisci opterećuju te vodene krajolike. Rijeke su sve udaljenije od građana i prirode, pogoršavajući ekološke izazove ili podliježući gentrifikaciji. Iako strategije postoje, potencijal rijeka i kanala da promiču otpornost, društvenu koheziju i održiv urbani život ostaje nedovoljno iskorišten.
Waterside Voices ima za cilj spojiti gradske rijeke sa zajednicama koje žive uz njihove obale. Vizije i uključenost tih zajednica ključni su za djelovanje temeljeno na potrebama. Kroz participativna istraživanja i dizajn u Bruxellesu, Rijeci i Budimpešti, tri intervencije usmjerene na otpornost pretvorit će Dunav, Rječinu i Senne u živahna središta - inkubirajući zelene i plave vještine te oblikujući dugoročne planove. Na transnacionalnoj razini razvijat će se zajednička i prilagodljiva digitalna platforma koja dokumentira obnovu urbanih riječnih krajolika diljem Europe, uz radionice i diskurzivne formate.
Een translocale reis om de toegang tot en veerkracht van de Donau, de Senne en de Rječina te vergroten door het creëren van levendige toegangsplekken door, voor en met gemeenschappen.
Veel Europese steden en dorpen zijn gevormd door rivieren, maar klimaatverandering en stedelijke druk belasten deze watersystemen. Rivieren raken steeds meer losgekoppeld van zowel de burgers als de natuur, wat de ecologische uitdagingen verergert of leidt tot gentrificatie. Hoewel er strategieën bestaan, blijft het potentieel van rivieren en kanalen om veerkracht, sociale cohesie en duurzaam stedelijk leven te bevorderen onderbenut.
Waterside Voices streeft ernaar om stedelijke rivieren en kanalen terug te winnen voor, door, en met de gemeenschappen die langs hun oevers wonen. De visies en betrokkenheid van deze gemeenschappen zijn cruciaal voor actie die gebaseerd is op hun behoeften. Via participatief onderzoek en ontwerp in Brussel, Rijeka en Boedapest zullen drie veerkrachtige interventies de Donau, Rječina en Zenne transformeren tot levendige knooppunten - gericht op het ontwikkelen van groene en blauwe vaardigheden en het vormgeven van langetermijnplannen. Op transnationaal niveau wordt een gedeeld en aanpasbaar digitaal platform ontwikkeld dat de vernieuwing van stedelijke watersystemen in heel Europa documenteert, samen met workshops en discursieve formats.
Un voyage visant à accroître l'accès et la résilience des rivières Danube, Senne et Rječina en créant des points d'accès dynamiques par, pour et avec les communautés locales.
MDe nombreuses villes et communes européennes se sont développées autour des rivières, mais le changement climatique et les pressions urbaines mettent à rude épreuve ces paysages aquatiques. Les rivières et canaux se trouvent détachées à la fois des citoyens et de la nature, aggravant les défis écologiques ou succombant à la gentrification. Bien que des stratégies existent, le potentiel des rivières et des canaux pour favoriser la résilience, la cohésion sociale et une vie urbaine durable reste sous-exploité.
Waterside Voices vise à réinvestir les rivières et canaux urbains pour, par, et avec les communautés vivant sur leurs rives. Les visions et l'implication de ces communautés sont essentielles pour des actions adaptées à leurs besoins. Grâce à des recherches participatives et à des projets de design menés à Bruxelles, Rijeka et Budapest, trois interventions résilientes transformeront le Danube, la Rječina et Canal de la Senne en centres dynamiques - incubant des compétences vertes et bleues et élaborant des plans à long terme. À l'échelle transnationale, une plateforme numérique partagée et adaptable documentera le renouvellement des paysages aquatiques urbains à travers l'Europe, accompagnée d'ateliers et de formats discursifs.
Brussels
The Brussels Canal is a key waterway linking the city to its broader canal system. It played a vital role in trade and transportation throughout history. But, a changing world changed the Canal's function. As urban pressures in Belgium and its capital grow, the Canal faces a rapidly changing and gentrifying urban landscape, often detached from the communities living by its shores. That's why our project will travel to its banks. Through a series of workshops and gatherings, a part of the Canal in Anderlecht will be activated by floating avatars protesting for a swimmable, open and clean waterscape.
Rijeka
Even though the seventeen-kilometer-long Rječina flows through the center of Rijeka, Croatia's third-largest city, most of the river runs through a series of sleepy villages and a green canyon. Known as an industrial and port city, Rijeka has been facing urban pressures that have left the river and its communities overlooked. In a city which, by the way, got its name from the river itself. The project will explore Rječina by focusing on a brownfield zone in the center of Rijeka and creating the rivers' first point-of-access, ever.
Budapest
Around twenty five out of almost three thousand kilometers of the Danube take a stop in the capital of Hungary, splitting it into the hilly Buda and the flat Pest. Europe's second largest river took many blows as the city evolved into a bustling center. In the last decade, however, perception of the Danube as dirty and neglected has been changing. Ecological movements and community actions are driving progressive urban transformations. A quickly developing stretch of the Danube in southern Budapest will become part of the project by creating a very-much-missing multigenerational and accessible shore.
Alive Architecture
A Brussels-based socio-spatial design agency that enables communities to appropriate the city and make public space more livable through an empathetic and collaborative approach. Founded in 2010, Alive Architecture currently comprises architects, social designers and spatial designers that address the challenges of urban transformation in an interdisciplinary way.
info@alivearchitecture.eu
Urbani Separe
A Rijeka-based transdisciplinary practice aiming to build and strengthen the capacity of communities through a tasty blend of participation, sustainability and culture via long-term, layered and participative projects. Urbani separe brings culture to places, communities and natures - creating resilient micro-systems for a strong and truly participative urban development of Rijeka.
udruga@urbanisepare.org
Valyo
A Budapest-based collective that works towards a more accessible Danube, with leisure spaces and cultural activities along its banks. Valyo works on the evaluation of these spaces, drawing attention and awareness via artistic and community-development tools, making proposals for better utilisation and designing urban interventions.
info@valyo.hu
MOME Social Design Hub
A branch of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design focusing on the design research of social inclusion and policy, social entrepreneurship and education with the aim to deliver impact while working closely with stakeholders and communities. Its ongoing research programs are dealing with issues of extreme poverty and resilience in rural settings, changing gender opportunities in the makerspace movement and the urban mobility of children.
info@mome.hu
Want to join us?
Your city, river or canal are not on the map? A piece of history, present or future are missing? Maybe there's a project, initiative or public space that fits in? Really, if it is related to celebrating water in cities - put the message in a bottle!
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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
