Competition ‘’Upcycling Public Space‘’, Reclaiming public space

Human Cities is a European network that groups scientific and cultural partners involved in research and information on spatial, social and political innovation related to the production of public space in contemporary cities. The partners in this network are: ULB, Faculty of Architecture La Cambre,-Horta, Brussels, BE - Pro Materia, Brussels, BE - Strategic Design Scenarios, Brussels, BE - Politecnico di Milano, Faculty of Design, Department INDACO, Milan, IT - Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (UIRS), Ljubljana, SLO - La Cité du Design, Saint-Etienne, FR - Time Circus, Antwerp, BE - Esterni, Milan, IT - Prostoroz, Ljubljana, SLO - Clear Village, London, UK.

Human Cities offers innovative perspectives of and contributions to the public space, which is emerging as a realm of creative intervention and collaboration between artists, designers, architects, sociologists, writers, philosophers, urban planners and landscape architects. This interdisciplinary approach of the Human Cities hub, researches and action program has contributed to the emergence of creative cities, laboratory for informal, temporary, creative performances and installations of static or moving forms and objects challenging our existing art, architecture and design stereotypes. Its bottom up approach set up a bi- annual Human Cities Festival: an European research project which presents a series of activities to celebrates and reclaims the public space: an international symposium (15-16 March 2012 on Reclaiming Public Space), conferences, exhibitions, public space's activities and workshops.

Theme: Upcucling - Urban Readymades
Deadline: 30 October 2011

The term Upcycling was first used by Reiner Pilz who described recycling as a system where everything is smashed. He used the term Downcycling to describe this and called for what he referred to as Upcycling, a practice where old products are given more value and not less. In this sense, Upcycling is about the way we remake things.

If we consider reinventing or remaking public space, we do not speak about reinventing the wheel or total erasure of what exists, but of how to work with existing environments, objects and materials.

Projects will be analyzed on their use of the Upcycling concept and cross-disciplinary approaches to public space as well as their interpretation of Readymade design, referencing Duchamp's description of 'found art,' or objects which are slightly modified to take on a new social function.

Why?
To rethink, re-use and reinvent public space by exploring human creativity and existing materials through co-creations, performances, installations and hands-on experiments.

How?
Creative and interactive Human Centerd Design approach

Where?
Context of Brussels City and other European cities part of HC Network aiming at a socio-cultural impact in selected places in town.

Purpose
The competition has been created with the following purposes:

'Reclaiming public space': develop a public design project which enable citizens to re-invest, re-appropriate, re-use public spaces as an open, rich and convivial common good.

-To make the public opinion more aware of the public space as a context for projects;
-To develop, support, and establish a public-space-centred approach to the city;
-To offer the city of Brussels public design projects that can become permanent;
-To offer designers the opportunity to present their ideas during the Human Cities Festival 2012.
-To increase the participation of all citizens into public life.

Areas
Places To Be will feature site-specific projects developed on the base of the actual needs of some specific city areas. These areas will provide the setting for interventions selected through this Call for Entries, as well as other interventions stemming from the organization's research and design work.

The areas chosen to host the third Human Cities Festival are areas around train and metro stations.

Guidelines
The organization will only evaluate the submitted projects that meet one or more of the following requirements:

1. the improvement and enhancement of public spaces or urban furniture items that have been misused or left unused, with the aim of increasing the occasions to use them and the number of their users.
2. the designing of services and infrastructures for a 24/7 open and liveable city.
3. the designing solutions that could represent a functional, sustainablealternative to the actual politics of citizens, administrations, private and public bodies.
4. the designing of urban furniture items or structures that offer or complement a public service, also by enhancing structures already present in the chosen areas (such as nursery schools, elementary schools, cultural associations, bars, restaurants, etc.). The aim is to improve community life in a useful and functional way.
5. the designing of outdoor communication items that are considered innovative according to present-day advertising communication and fit into the environment thanks to a responsible exploitation of shared spaces.

The Committee will favour projects meeting the following requirements:economic sustainability, that somehow interact with the audience, the use of recycled materials, or the creative and innovative use of everyday materials, a low environmental impact.

The competition is open to people over 18 years old: they may be professionals, artists, or students from art, design, or communication schools or academies. Work groups are also admitted, provided there is a group leader and at least one member is over 18.

Deadline for submission: October 30^th, 2011
End November: publication of the results Spring 2012 Human Cities Festival

For more information and details: http://www.humancities.eu/

 Editing : Xenia Saratsioti