2014

ABOUT THE PROJECT

”Urban spaces in action” is the newest initiative of the Komunitas Association – an interdisciplinary project, combining elements of urban planning, urban anthropology, architecture and education for young people, which is meant to be an answer to some urban problems that the organization has identified in its activity during the last 7 years, through social research combined with different projects or experiments of urban education and community development. The project is taking place between the 1st of May 2014 and 30th of October 2015 and the activities will take place in 3 neighborhoods of Bucharest: Tei, Tineretului and Timpuri Noi.

THE ACTIVITIES

The project approaches 3 neighborhoods from Bucharest in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner, working on several complementary plans covering the following activities: 
• performing urban socio-anthropological research aimed at investigating the practices of public spaces usings in 3 neighborhoods of Bucharest (Tei, Tineretului, Timpuri Noi);
• dissemination and public discussion of the research findings;
• civic and urban education activities for teenagers attending educational institutions in the three neighborhoods, based on innovative methods of work designed by Komunitas Association members; 
• animation and activating urban spaces through participatory urban interventions;  
• organizing community events designed to bring residents together and build a sense of the community (events like “Quarter Day” and urban festivals in the neighborhood); 
• producing resource publications that provide information and know-how about the interdisciplinary project methods and the ability to be replicated; 
• communication and visibility events during the project (conferences, seminars etc.).

BENEFICIARIES

The project beneficiaries will be people from different social and age groups: 75 pupils from educational institutions from the 3 neighborhoods; 30 students from the faculties of urban planning, social sciences and architecture; citizens who will benefit from the improved urban spaces that will be used in common and will help create positive social relationships; people who will make contact with the events and information dissemination of the project.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the project target:
1.    The activation of urban spaces from the 3 mentioned neighborhoods through interdisciplinary activities, urban interventions and community events 
2.    Involving over 100 young people (pupils and students) in alternative education activities based on urban pedagogical methods designed by the Komunitas Association, which aim to develop for youth new skills and ways of perceiving to the city. 

Urban space project is funded by EEA grants 2009 – 2014 under the NGO Fund in Romania. For official information on EEA grants and Norway Grants, visit www.eeagrants.org, www.fondong.fdsc.ro 

Further details on the Facebook page of the project and on the website:

www.facebook.com/spatiiurbaneinactiune
www.spatii-urbane.ro

THE TEAM

Miruna Tîrcă: Project Manager

President of  Komunitas Association, an interdisciplinary, socio-anthropological and educational laboratory founded in 2006, based on the concept of applied social science. Komunitas is also an educational and experimental space, where innovative methods of non-formal education are created, along with doing socio-urban research and initiating different modes of activating public spaces. Miruna’s studies are in the field of philology, ethnology, social anthropology & community development and she has experience in the following areas: management of interdisciplinary projects, non-formal education, socio-anthropological research.

Silviu Marcu- project assistant 

Founding member of S.E.G.M.E.N.T Association, who works with youth in foster care, and also a Komunitas Association collaborator.  Silviu worked for a year at Parada Foundation as a soccer coach for children at risk (children in foster care, children living on the street, children from families with a precarious situation etc ).  Currently, he is assistant in the project called “Spatii urbane in actiune” and runs youth projects in the Association SEGMENT.

Cristi Borcan- specialist in architecture and participatory urbanism

Together with Alex Axinte, Cristi established in 2006 studioBASAR, both an architecture studio and an agent for the observation and urban intervention. Concerned with the dynamics of contemporary urban culture and degradation of public space, the projects of studioBASAR differ from interventions in public space, art installations, urban research, non-formal education workshops, to competitions and various types of residential and public buildings.

Vlad Cătună – urban research coordinator

Roxana Popescu – PR and communication

Sabina Lefter – non-formal education trainer(socio-educational animation/visual education)

She graduated Sociology and Social Work College and now she studies a master of alternative pedagogies and theatre in education. She works in non-formal education projects for five years as a volunteer and collaborator of Komunitas Association. As well, in the last four years she prepared educational activities for children between age 7 and 10 years inside of National Organization Romanian Scouts. During this time, she followed socio-animation and pedagogy classes, while learning how important is the quality and planning of the educational process and the pursuit of certain targets.

Andreea Lipan – non-formal education trainer(urbanism and urban interventions)

Andreea is a graduate of the Faculty of Urban Planning at the University of Architecture and Urbanism “Ion Mincu”, Bucuresti 2005-2008. Durring  2008 – 2010 she follow the Master “Urban Management for Competitive Cities” at the University of Architecture and Urbanism “Ion Mincu”.

Paula Nita – event organizer
Roxana Szel – video documentation 
Horia Doroftei – Financial Officer 
Ramona Beian / Ionescu Andrada / Andreea Ivascu / Madalina Mihai / Andrei Pop / Ioana Petrache – urban researchers

INITIATORS

The project is coordinated by the Komunitas Association, in partnership with tranzit.ro, Sports and Youth Department of Bucharest (Direcția pentru Sport și Tineret a Municipiului București), ArtWe Association and is supported by the group of architects of studioBasar. 

Komunitas Association is a non-governmental organization founded in 2006 by a group of young sociology and anthropology researchers, based on the concept of applied social sciences and education. Our projects are based on a coherent approach to social action and intend to get out of the tight vision that the social sciences usually manifest in Romania, focusing instead on the way that they may be applied, in parallel with facilitating the understanding of certain concepts and social mechanisms among youth and the general public.
asociatia-komunitas.ro

SUPPORTERS

studioBasar – a group of architects founded in 2006 by Alex Axinte and Cristi Borcan, both as an architectural studio and as a Search-and-Rescue team, acting as an agent of urban observation and intervention. studioBASAR supports the project ” Spații urbane în acțiune” (Urban spaces in action) even since the design stage they were actively involved.
www.studiobasar.ro

PARTNERS
Tranzit.ro Association – an independent network of initiatives in contemporary art. 
ro.tranzit.org

Sports and Youth Department of Bucharest – state youth agency
www.ds-bucuresti.ro

Art We – non-governmental organization aimed at young people passionate, active, artistically inclined, motivated by the desire to learn and gain experience, while being interested in new trends in the cultural field. They may be students or practitioners in fields such as drawing, painting, photography, digital art, design or music. 
www.artwe.ro

For more information please contact: 
Roxana Maria Popescu
Responsible for PR 
m: +40729066789 
Email: spatii.urbane@gmail.com