Impact in WoF1 Citizenship and Governance

Windows on the Future are thematic lenses through which we can look into the future to start regenerating remote places into more liveable environments. Discover more about it.

The Window on the Future for Citizenship and Governance underscores the critical importance of active citizen participation in shaping new forms of governance and fostering vibrant community life. This future-oriented window emphasizes not only the importance of tangible projects but also the collaborative processes behind these projects. The SMOTIES project centers around the idea of encouraging citizens to engage in and actively influence collective future endeavors, ensuring that local voices shape the development of community spaces. To realize this vision, partners collaborated closely with local communities to co-design impactful actions, including projects and events that enhance community spaces, foster local engagement, bolster local pride, and strengthen the bonds between residents. These initiatives collectively aim to amplify the sense of community and increase visibility for local associations, enriching public life at multiple levels. This impactful collaboration was made possible through the combined efforts of ALTERNANCE, CITÉ DU DESIGN, CLEAR VILLAGE, EAD, FHJ, POLIMI, UAEGEAN, UIRS, UMA, and ZAMEK.

Creating Vibrant Community Spaces

A primary focus of the project was to renovate and carry out physical interventions in both outdoor and indoor spaces, with the goal of cultivating public life. Across diverse locations such as Penmachno (North Wales, Great Britain), Albugnano (Italy), Joaveski (Estonia), Oberzeiring (Austria), Apano Meria (Syros, Greece), and the Hills of Medvode (Slovenia), transformative efforts were undertaken to create vibrant, accessible community spaces. These spaces fostered a renewed sense of identity and pride among local residents. Specific examples of these transformative projects include:

• In Oberzeiring, Austria, simple yet highly effective changes were made to revitalize the town’s central market square. These included installing light barriers, benches, and games, transforming what was previously a noisy, unsafe area into a pedestrian-friendly, inviting space. This intervention encouraged dynamic public life, making the area far more conducive to social interactions and community gatherings.
• In Penmachno, North Wales, an old, disused shop was repurposed and transformed into the Oriel Machno (Machno Gallery), which means “Machno Gallery” in Welsh. This conversion breathed new life into the area, encouraging residents and visitors to engage with local culture in an accessible, welcoming setting.
• In Joaveski, Estonia, the renovation of previously abandoned buildings created new spaces that serve as hubs for community collaboration and cultural exchange, fostering a deeper sense of belonging and shared identity among residents.
• In Apano Meria, Syros, Greece, UAEGEAN enhanced the quality of a community space by converting a bus stop into a multifunctional hub. This transformation included the addition of a community cork board for local events, a QR code for digital updates, and dedicated areas for meet-ups and educational nature hikes, thus broadening its role as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.
• In the Homestead of Pr. Lenart, Slovenia, the UIRS team revitalized a traditional hayrack, creating a new public space for the local community to gather, reinforcing local traditions and making this culturally significant structure an accessible gathering spot.

1. Market Square, Oberzeiring, Austria – FHJ. In 2023, FHJ Design Master’s students redesigned Oberzeiringer Market Square during the OZ festival to make it more accessible and inviting. The interventions improved pedestrian safety, mobility, and visibility for local associations. Key features like the Ideas Garden blocked traffic, while the Multifunctional Circle attracted people and encouraged them to stay.
2. Abandoned Cardboard Complex, Joaveski, Estonia – EAD. In 2022, the EAD team and local volunteers worked on securing and refurbishing the abandoned Joaveski cardboard complex. The goal was to make the space usable for future pop-up studios and residencies. These efforts turned unused buildings into valuable community assets, creating opportunities for residents and visitors to meet, collaborate, and engage with local culture.
3. “Oriel Machno”, Penmachno, Great Britain – CLEAR VILLAGE. “Oriel Machno” (Machno Gallery) is a community project in Penmachno. It opened in 2022, after the CLEAR VILLAGE team partnering with the Penmachno Community Trust and numerous volunteers transformed this ex-shop and photography studio into a community space. 
4. Bus stop, Apano Meria, Greece – UEAGEAN. In 2023 and 2024, a remote bus stop in Apano Meria has seen the transformation of the bus stop into a vibrant point of interaction between residents, visitors, and more-than-human inhabitants, creating a platform for shared activities. A cork board has been installed inside the bus stop to showcase a calendar of events, which will include thematic meet-ups, educational hikes, and community discussions aimed at fostering local engagement.
5. Square, Albugnano, Italy – POLIMI. In 2023, a part of a square in Albugnano has been pedestrianised with a tactical urban design intervention, returning this space to everyday gatherings between citizens. All other spaces have been equipped with what POLIMI called ‘Totems’: narrative elements of the history and stories of the village and its inhabitants that create a path through the historic centre, together with historical pictures and accessibility information.
6. Homestead PR’Lenart, Belo, Slovenia – UIRS. In  June 2022, a traditional hayrack was turned into an covered openair public space for communal gatherings and exhibitions.

Measurable Outcomes:

• POLIMI improved 500 m² of outdoor space.
• FHJ added 100 m² of enhanced public space.
• UAEGEAN transformed 46 m² in outdoor areas.
• CLEAR VILLAGE improved 16 m² of indoor space, enriching local engagement in this intimate setting.

These redesigned spaces are now central to community life. For instance, CLEAR VILLAGE supported five distinct community groups and hosted four annual events, while FHJ’s flexible, temporary designs enabled the hosting of varied activities, from church services to concerts. One particularly illustrative example is POLIMI’s tactical urbanism project in Albugnano, Italy, which creatively reimagined parking spaces as a welcoming gathering square. This transformation is an example of how targeted, community-driven design interventions can profoundly influence public spaces and encourage positive changes in community behaviors.

Bringing Communities Together Through Participation

An essential goal of the SMOTIES project was to unify communities by actively inviting people to participate in Human Cities’ activities and, more broadly, in the project’s development process. This approach encourages community members to take ownership of projects, rather than remaining passive observers. Over 50 on-site activities were organized across various partner locations, attracting volunteers who regularly contributed their time, energy, and creativity to these community-building efforts. Examples of hands-on participation include:

• CITÉ DU DESIGN involved 10 volunteers in the Dorlay Valley and Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez regions in France, fostering a strong sense of commitment and ownership over the initiatives.
• CLEAR VILLAGE welcomed 13 volunteers to assist in community-driven projects.
• POLIMI engaged 4 dedicated volunteers who took responsibility for managing spaces, contributing to a growing culture of local stewardship and pride.

Local associations also played a central role in enhancing community engagement:

• FHJ’s project in Oberzeiring significantly raised the visibility of 7 local associations.
• CLEAR VILLAGE’s community events involved 14 associations and local authorities, drawing an average of 22 attendees per event—exceeding expectations and illustrating the community’s enthusiasm for active involvement.

Digital engagement further supported these activities, with ALTERNANCE’s “Sögutorgin” website (dedicated to the Historical Square project in Borgarnes, Iceland) receiving over 2,000 visits, predominantly from audiences in Iceland, Europe, and North America. This combination of on-the-ground engagement and online outreach highlights the project’s success in fostering active community involvement and deepening a sense of local pride and ownership

Empowering the Local Community

A significant impact of the SMOTIES project is the empowerment of local communities through events and initiatives that cultivate a sense of involvement and shared purpose. This active engagement has led to enhanced local pride, as shown through various examples:

• In Borgarnes, Iceland, survey results from residents and authorities who participated in workshops showed an increase in local pride and a stronger commitment to future planning and design processes. Many residents expressed their appreciation for this inclusive approach and voiced their desire for such community-driven planning to continue.
• In Slovenia, UIRS’s strategy of organizing multiple small workshops in various locations successfully strengthened connections among community members. Informal interviews with locals revealed that this approach of engaging in smaller, localized events fostered a higher level of connectivity between participants, creating a more cohesive community fabric.
• Social mediation for residents with Anna Dęboń and Anna Jach-Falkiewicz, organized by Zamek as part of the co-creative project for the development of a recreation area in Bobrek, 2023.    In Bobrek, Poland, ZAMEK carried out a successful mediation process with the community, with 20 residents attending meetings and sharing their insights. This strong community appropriation of the project underscored the lasting impact of the project on local pride and ownership.

Through these collaborative actions, SMOTIES has effectively strengthened community bonds, enhanced local pride, and empowered residents to become active participants in shaping the future of their communities. The project exemplifies how community-centered design and governance initiatives can transform public spaces and improve the quality of life for residents, establishing enduring connections to both place and community.