Open Backyards Movement

Project

269433

Status

Submitted

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NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS RISING STARS : concepts or ideas submitted by young talents (aged 30 or less)

Project title

Open Backyards Movement

Full concept/idea title

Description

Curtyards are not like the EU. Borders everywhere. We can´t connect to our Neighbours in a normal way. Why not a Shengen for our shared Backyards? When build, these big building blocks in major citys where owned by one Institution. Now its split up. Let´s connect bottom Up! Be the Grassroot movement that connects what once been one! Why not a shared Playground? Lets Dream!   I want to facilitate this process and make it repeatable! Learnings will be made!

Where is your concept/idea being developed or intended to be implemented in the EU?

Please provide a summary of your concept/ idea

We live in a time, where loneliness and solitute are the driving factors for suicide, and the depression of old folks. I live in a Building. It is one of many in a big block. We have a big backyard which is only used for our garbage. Every other "House" in our Block does it the same way.   Why don´t I know my Neighbours? Why don´t we meet? Why do we make such a big room of our citys unusable? This makes me sad.   I want to change that. But not on my own.   Giving workshops I adapted to the role of a facilitator. Studying Design in the Bauhaus City Dessau also teached me this way of thinking. If I am able to spark the Idea of a shared use of our backyards in just TWO houses that are close to another; If we then tear down the fence just between our two houses people will get inspired.   It will evolve. More people will join.   And so - step by step a block that once was brocken, will heal by the comunal efforts of the people retaking their Lebensraum. We will meet. We will get to know eachother. Citys, Streets, houses used to be a place of encounters. Now our backyards are dead. Killed by weird ownership status.   But the good thing - Landlords will love it! They don´t have much work and the living quality of their Property will rise. Maybe they also get involved?   It´s lokal, its participatory and it´s experimental. And if it works - it´s scalable. Everyone will be able to retake the steps that I want to look into.   Building a shared vision will reshape our areas.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of sustainability and how these would be met

A far established Version of one of these Projects would have a shared ground to use for everyone.   Sustainability comes also in the reinvention of places. People want it to be greener. It´s just way nicer. No one would say: Hey, now that we have all this space in our Backyards - lets put A LOT of concrete there.   Also - sharing a place will hopefully lead to shared Items - Bikes / Playgrounds / a Grill - you name it. Not everyone needs everything, but we need acces to it.   Since the Future of the Project and the Vision depends on the People involved and im just the facilitator I can´t exactly name the future. But I can asure you - people don´t want to live in a wasteland. And getting to know other ways of live and having a place for exchange is in my opinion a basic need for a sustainable system change. We wont change the World on our own.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience beyond functionality and how these would be met

I want to make a starting Ceremony happen, An event to inform people about my Vision - get them to talk, exchange Ideas, shape their vision!   Everyone in the block needs to know about it! Then we start meeting. I will facilitate the meetings and guide them with my knowledge.   Non Violent communication, a well balanced diskussion where everyone is heard,   I take this knowledge from my exxperience in the Workshop Sector and from my education in the "Design Thinking" and "Dragon Dreaming" sector.   After spreading the Idea and making a discussion happen meetings will ocure to realise the Idea. We will go into our Backyards, build and plant something (or whatever the participants want).   During the process I will write an Scientific article about the Process.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of inclusion and how these would be been met

Get people of the Area to talk. Open up the room for a conversation about Ownership.   Everyone in the Block is invited. It will be a melting pot of different world views and ages.   Also I hope to get people to develope a grassroots democratic lifestyle.

Please explain the innovative character of your concept/ idea

Grassroot movement applied to our surroundings. I only visualise the Idea for people to get hooked on.   I think it can be the starting point and Idea giver for much more Projects to come.   By including everyone that is interested and the scalable charackter of the Idea lots of different stakeholders will get included. The rules of the organisation will get shaped in the process.

Please detail the plans you have for the further development, promotion and/or implementation of your concept/idea, with a particular attention to the initiatives to be taken before May 2022

1. legal consulting - what is possible within the lokal law? (thats what I specaly need money for....) 2. Posters and Flyers distributed within the block to get people involved in: 3. The opening Event - with talks by professionals, music food and an Open mic to share Ideas 4. the first workshops with interested lokal stakeholders ... And then the journey begins. What do the people want? How do we want to decide? What are our goals?   Also the Process will be documented and shared to motivate others.   And maybe these backyards will open up for the whole city to use and we will create a big walkable, liveable city together.

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that the proposed concept/idea has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Rising Stars Awards more than once in the same category.