Following the first Urban Living Lab, held in Braga last February, Braga Media Arts took part, between 25 and 28 June, in the second meeting of the UrbCitizenPower project – Empower citizens for agency as a driver for change in cities, organised by the partners in Groningen as part of the Interreg Europe programme.
The project, coordinated by the Heinrich-Böll Foundation (Germany), involves organisations from seven European regions: Braga (Portugal), Groningen (Netherlands), Kiel (Germany), Guldborgsund (Denmark), Pori (Finland), Košice (Slovakia) and the Region of Central Macedonia (Greece).
The main objective of the initiative is to support the empowerment and capacity for action of citizens and organisations, promoting their active participation in the co-definition and co-implementation of urban strategies and policies, with a focus on areas such as public spaces, green spaces, creativity and culture, amongst other issues associated with the growing pressures on urban space.
During the meeting in Groningen, the partners had the opportunity to learn about the New Space policy instrument, a strategic guideline developed by the city to promote more liveable, sustainable and inclusive public spaces, with a focus on local identity and active mobility.
In addition to participatory working visits to different parts of the city, the meeting included a session on sharing best practices, during which Braga presented the Acusticidade project, an initiative by Circuito – Serviço Educativo Braga Media Arts, which aims to reimagine the city through sound, seeking to transform Braga into an immersive sound experience and revive local memories and identities through collaborative sound walks.