Project Summary

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PREVIOUS APPEARANCE OF ALLEY OF ORCHARDS PARK

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The research and projects with the pupils from School no. 136 of the Ferentari Extension previously conducted by Komunitas members in the area and the meetings with the community helped us identify the problems and needs of the neighborhood, the most urgent and possible being the revitalization of the park. The park had lately become more of a transit and parking space for cars. From previous incursions around the neighborhood, we noticed that children usually spend the most time in the park, adapting their playing to the little offered. On several occasions the community expressed an explicit desire for the improvement of the park.improvement of the park.

During the project "Our city - our decision" developed in 2009 took place participatory planning workshops with the pupils of School no. 136. The problem of the undeveloped park was identified since then and the project "From the heart of my neighborhood" was an applied practical continuation of the activities initiated in 2009.

The idea of the project "From the heart of my neighborhood" came right from children attending School no. 136 and living in the Alley of Orchards area. Although it remained in status of just an idea for several months, over time and with the help of our partners we were able to shape and plan a project to achieve the desires over time and with the help of our partners we were able to shape and plan a project to achieve the desires of the children by actual results. The partners of this project are: French Association of Urban Planners "L'armoire" and a neighborhood association called the Association for Ferentari Community Development. Along the way, there have joined a French association of landscapers, Wagon Landscaping, and a Romanian association of landscapers, ASOP (Association of Landscape Architects in Romania).

TurningTurning the data on all sides, we decided that both short-term and long-term project success depends on its participatory dimension. Thus, the goal was community involvement with proposals and request for assistance with the planning, and also setting in motion the authorities (particularly ADP District 5).

Following the rich experience in non-formal education gained by the Association members, the project started with workshops conducted with pupils of the School no. 136 where they proposed by various methods (collages, drawings on photos etc) how they would like to change the park.

After gathering proposals from the children and residents, the landscape architects have realized several After gathering proposals from the children and residents, the landscape architects have realized several development variants, both partial (implemented in the project) and long term following that the professional development project for the entire park to be implemented by the City Hall of District 5 and ADP District 5 when the necessary budget shall be available.

After several variants discussed under several meetings, both at the headquarters of ADP and at their work point it, it was decided focusing efforts on the football field. Making the frames of welded wire mesh that surrounds the field required a meticulous and long-term handicraft.

Komunitas mediated and coordinated a meeting between the French partner L'Armoire Urbain and Ferentari Community Development Association (this took place at ADCF Headquarters located in the Alley of Orchards). By presentation of previous projects, the French Association offered a new image on how urban intervention should be designed. ADCF completed with the problems identified in the community by its own experience, the ultimate goal being that the intervention needs to be adapted and developed by community citizens participation.

AlongAlong the way were co-opted two more partners: The Association of Landscape Architects in Romania, Bucharest branch (ASOP) and Wagon Landscaping, an association of French landscapers. ASOP members have been deeply involved in the project, with volunteer students from the Faculty of Horticulture, Landscape Architecture Department. They participated to workshops with the pupils of School no. 136, to participatory community meetings, meetings with the ADP and City Hall of District 5 representatives, to the design of partial interventionintervention and making of the project proposed to the authorities for development of the entire park. The meeting between French and Romanian landscapers was useful to all parties involved, bringing together a substantial contribution to the project, which was materialized in the plan submitted to the authorities for the entire park development.

L'Armoire Urbain is an association of French architects and urban planners who are interested in promoting active participatory planning methods. With this association we collaborated on the project www.orasul-nostru.blogspot.com, their members being familiar with the problems in Ferentari.

TheThe Faculty of Horticulture, by its Department of Landscape Architecture represented by the landscaper Michael Culescu, together with the volunteer students, is an old partner of Komunitas Association, working with us in the urban education projects "Our city, our decision" and "Closer to the future".

TheThe Association of Landscape Architects in Romania is composed of specialists in landscape architecture. It was founded in February 2005 as a necessity to support the profession and to support landscape architecture as an act of artistic creation and to promote the principles set out by the European Landscape Convention, ratified by Romania in 2002. Over time its members have offered professional development of urban space. They became partners of the project, contributing decisively with the know-how accumulated in previous projects.FerentariFerentari Community Development Association (asociatiaferentari.blogspot.com) is an NGO residing in the Alley of Orchards (Ferentari) that acts as an intermediary (mediator) between the community and authorities.

MEETINGS AMONG PARTNERS

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In addition to planning that started almost from scratch, it was also carried out a major sanitation. The vegetation had not been trimmed for a long time and the area was full of garbage. Thus, the second part of the intervention, which focused around the football field, included cleaning the park, placing eight benches around the field and 4 bins.

Throughout the project were also held an information campaign in the neighborhood, collective painting workshops, cultural and sport events (juggling, film screenings and football matches).

At the end of the project we can say we are glad that we managed to conduct the first major urban participatory intervention in Ferentari, a place avoided by most of the citizens of Bucharest. intervention in Ferentari, a place avoided by most of the citizens of Bucharest.

This way it was proved it is possible for the authorities, NGO's and community to work together.

No matter how stigmatized it may be (Ferentari case), the community can cooperate and realize that it would only gain from active involvement.

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WORKSHOPS AT SCHOOL NO. 136

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Workshop no. 1 Identifying the problems in the neighborhood

Workshop no. 2 - Intervention on photographs

As we established from socio-anthropological research, children spend most time in the park. Thus we have realized workshops along with the pupils of School no. 136, where they expressed their views about the development of the park.

On the first workshop the pupils were divided into teams, and based on photographs of the neighborhood each team presented its list of issues related to public spaces in the Alley of Orchards. AccordingAccording to the information from workshops, the children want: benches, swings, as many trees, light at night, table tennis, toboggan, a quiet place for aged people, basketball court, specially designed space for dogs, garbage bins, football field.They do not want: stray dogs, cars parked on the sidewalk, wild vegetation, garbage, children destroying parks, pollution.

In the first workshop was held an interactive presentation of park planning principles, supported by volunteer students from the Faculty of Horticulture, Landscape Architecture Department. The presentation was prepared so as the children should understand it, its purpose being to teach them the role of a park to community and how it should be professionally and durable arranged. After identifying the problems in the neighborhood on the first workshop, with at notions of "little landscapers" known, the pupils had the opportunityopportunity to provide solutions for urban intervention. The intervention by drawing photos with the park gave them maximum freedom, some of the solutions proposed by them being found in the development proposal made by the landscapers.

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Next to the second workshop followed a theoretical part, where the pupils learned about concepts such as "public participation", "active citizenship", "urbanism and urban planning", "decision maker", "community development",development", the importance of participation in community life, how can we have a nice neighborhood and why do we have to take care of the community areas in the neighborhood. For the pupils to understand what it means all these put into practice, we provided some examples of participatory projects in the community and public areas modified by action of the citizens. This theoretical part had a positive impact on them, its purpose being to make them feel the importance of their proposals, to understand that they are taken into account and the variants they offer can be realized. So, in the latter part of the workshop, the children expressed their viewsviews on the arrangement of the entire park by collage method, with many items and images available, from various futuristic constructions, to many species of trees and flowers.

Workshop no. 3 - Overview on the park

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After the first workshops with children in the which their ideas for planning had been outlined, the next step was to introduce the project and proposals of the pupils to the Alley of Orchards inhabitants. Thus on April 10 we were to conduct a community awareness campaign, informing citizens being essential for a productive exchange of ideas and for assessing the availability of the people to get involved. We considered that a formal approach coming from us would not firmly mobilize a large number of people to participate to the event. Thus on the fourth workshop, the children were challenged to promote the event by themselves, implicitly the exhibitionexhibition with the works created by them. The meeting turned into an artistic brainstorming session, and from the sincere and passionate childish drawings emerged some unconventional flyer models which would make one at least curious to attend the event. Their distribution was provided by Komunitas members, volunteers and children who have distributed the materials in school and to the neighborhood citizens.

Workshop no. 4 - Flyers creation and design

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From the experience of previous projects we have found out that many inhabitants of Ferentari, especially children, have not explored other areas of Bucharest. The mobility of children is reduced especially because of limited financial capabilities. The pupils were excited every time they had the opportunity to go to another neighborhood. We chose to explore The Youth Park, suitable both to playing football and relaxing on hammock, as well to present them the park in terms of landscaping.

Workshop no. 5 - Urban walks

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After the workshops with children and consultations with citizens, followed negotiations with the authorities. The participatory dimension implied their involvement in planning and post-development maintenance, because it is a public space in their management. The aid was thus mutual, Komunitas Association contributing with funding, ADP with manpower, experience and logistics.

The first contact with the institution was an encouraging one: we were invited to discussions on the backgroundbackground of a positive attitude, without facing indifference. Probably being one of the first projects with an NGO, what has followed was a more difficult dialog, with many meetings and repeated delays on starting the works. All this was justified, given that a team of only a few workers subordinated to ADP District 5 had to deal with the whole development of green areas in the District.But the experience of the institutions employees in park development proved to be very useful to reach the final version of the intervention. The budget constrained us to find the most ingenious solutions, being a new experience for both landscapers and for ADP District 5 employees.

The park structure and usage share the space in two areas: the football field and the area for The park structure and usage share the space in two areas: the football field and the area for socializing and relaxation. The funds would not have been sufficient to build both areas. Therefore, ADP came to our aid contributing with urban furniture (benches and trash bins) for the relaxation area and the tennis table and wooden benches were built by Komunitas team, in collaboration with its partners and the community people. It has also been performed a complete cleaning and sanitation of the park, all garbage being collected and the grass cut.

TheThe main purpose was arrangement of the football field, because it is an area of common interest to gather all age groups. Men, from children to the elderly, use it for football and their friends and mothers of the children gather around the field to watch the games or to supervise the children playing. The benches have been placed strategically around the football field, thus creating new connections between people, all community members having the opportunity to spend leisure time in a healthy and pleasant manner.

TheThe socialization and practice of football in a revitalized place represent an alternative to drug use and time spent watching TV or by the flat units staircase.

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ASOP (Association of Landscape Architects in Romania) was a crucial partner in the project by the involvement and expertise offered. The shortcomings faced by the residents of Ferentari on access to quality public spaces has led the ASOP members to get involved in the project. Landscape architects motivation manifested both by participating to all project activities, and through continuous consultation with the community. The development proposal submitted to the authorities is thus one adapted to the conditions in the Alley of Orchards and the needs expressed by its residents.

TheThe purpose of the project conducted by Komunitas Association was partial arrangement of the space, action intended to be an incentive for the authorities. For the initiative not to stop here, the Association of Landscape Architects in Romania and Komunitas Association have submitted to the authorities a professional project for development of the entire park. Decision makers within the municipality and ADP with whom we had several meetings were delighted with the proposal and promised to include the project on budget for the next year.

ThisThis project gives us the confidence that we can make a difference in Romania, but the initiative must come at least initially from communities and NGOs towards the authorities, they being willing to cooperate.

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‘’ "From the heart of my neighborhood" is a project which welded the connection between community and the use of public space. As an experience, this project revealed the need for intervention in less visible urban areas of the city, but also the desire of involvement of the residents. Furthermore, we proved that action can be taken and a difference can be made in terms of citizen involvement to urban life.

The whole city emphasizes a crisis of public space, where people can spend their leisure time. We need public spaces to meet different communities of people and which to improve the quantity and quality of green spaces within the city.

TheThe residents of a city, especially one the size of Bucharest, expect the authorities to participate in improving the use of public space by managing and maintaining areas for visitors. Most often, the lack of an attitude to-wards perpetual waiting leads to further degradation of public spaces. The Alley of Orchards park was in a state of degradation, but not due to the lack of use, but due to constant use and lack of maintenance. In these cases an impulse is all that is needed to trigger the community's interest to participate.

It was a well organized project, focused not only on material results but also on collaboration between people, with the focal point on working with the pupils of School no. 136 in Ferentari.

By the method of workshops we discovered the ability to work as a team since an early age, without any barrier related to differences in age, education or ethnicity. The pupils involved in the project showed an amazing attention and a constant interest in topics such as ecology, public life and even landscaping. Thus we have managed to learn their honest opinion about how the public space where they spend almost all day should look like.

TheThe park development plan took into account the wishes of pupils, expressed in drawings that they have realized during the workshops. Yet the activities that pupils undertook or are willing to undertake regarding the Alley of Orchards park were not the limit of the development proposal.

Children need playgrounds and adults need relaxation, meeting places and areas for dynamic activities. The proposal realized took into account the community needs, needs that can be satisfied by a functional and aesthetic development of the park, the answer to needs taking a coherent form, by links between the proposed park spaces, vegetation and furniture.

MeetingMeeting places, football field, playgrounds for children, all these represent the answer to community needs, but also the starting point for the involvement of the people in arranging an area which, though public, is developed especially to be used by the residents of the neighborhood.

The diversity this project aimed to reach also included partnerships with specialists from abroad, which is very important in finding optimal and innovative arranging solutions for the most efficient and correct use of space and the possibility of a durable maintenance of the park.

TheThe Administration of Public Domain (ADP District 5) had a great role in realizing this project, helping us to carry out the implementation of a first stage of Alley of Orchards park development. Happily, it is a very good start in making a connection between the community and public administration, a start that drew attention on the strong connection between "we want" and "we can" in terms of inhabitants communities and referring to public parks and green areas.

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The green areas in Bucharest are increasingly more neglected by authorities and us, as landscapers, we have to draw a warning and to show there can be arranged a quality green area, and with the support of the community we shall be able to break the strong indifference of the authorities toward the small sized green areas. The places of proximity and small parks are often ignored though they can be an important green network on the city level.

InIn the context of a rapid development of the habitation areas lacking public areas or with degraded public areas the participatory urbanism has great chances of extending. But the vital condition of public participation is public interest and the initiative of the community.

The initiative of the residents is encouraged by the difficulties of communication between the community and the authorities responsible of the coherent urban environment development. A "neighborhood" park can be professionally arranged thus answering the public problems of the community, but the participation must be of professionals, authorities and also the community, social cause of such project.

Collaboration is the key to success in a project. To what concerns the project "From the heart of my Collaboration is the key to success in a project. To what concerns the project "From the heart of my neighborhood", collaboration was both the starting point of the project, and the object of its onsite implementation by collaboration on organization, design and execution levels. Thus, diversity is a binder amongst people and an opening path to new ideas, useful projects and unique as design. ‘’

Oana Baloi Association of Romanian Landscapers Bucharest Branch

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LONG-TERM PROPOSAL

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RELATION TO COMMUNITY

From the first contact with the citizens of the neighborhood, we noticed a certain coldness on their part, they being already accustomed to such promises from the authorities and the NGOs. But as the promises began to take shape and our team becoming more present in the neighborhood, people were more willing to get involved.

InIn the the last days of the arrangement, the people in Alley of Orchards helped us paint the pillars and the frames of welded wire mesh, mark the field, assembly the tennis table and wooden benches. The young people and children of the neighborhood were actively involved and it was seen in their attitude as if they watched the park with other eyes, as being their own. They began to be aware and watch it. They realized that the intervention was done with their efforts and ours, out of sincerity and goodwill.

TheThe sports / culture events were meant to facilitate interaction between community and outside and to ease the existing stereotypes and prejudices. Football is a sport for "everyone", uniting people, so we organized two games between a team of Komunitas members and volunteers versus the Alley of Orchards team. Even played as an official match, it has been an opportunity to interact, exchange ideas and approach between the team members and those who attended the event.

FootballFootball theme continued with the documentary film "Maradona", produced by Kusturica. We chose this film because it approaches problems common for many young people in the community: poverty, drugs, discrimination etc.. The people have watched carefully Maradona's testimony, from which could draw positive and encouraging conclusions for the future. The Argentinean started from an environmentenvironment similar to the one in Alley of Orchards, fighting poverty in the beginning. The ultimate success at which dream as well the footballers in the neighborhood was nearly fatal to Maradona. He needed this watershed moment to realize how bad the drugs are, but many don't get a second chance. From the reactions and discussions after the screening, we believe that Maradona's story inspired the young people from the Alley of Orchards.

Another unique event and something most enjoyed by the residents of the Alley of Orchards was jugglingjuggling with fire, performed by the Komunitas volunteers. They were accompanied by tarabans played with talent by the children in the neighborhood.

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we give the neighborhoodto the community

Project implemented by

with L’Armoire Urbaine Associationand Ferentari Community Development Association

Romanian Landscapers Association+Faculty of Horticulture-Landscape Architecture Department

Public Domain Administration District 5 (ADP 5)+

Financed by Youth in Action Programe of the European Commision