NatuRE-based Co-CREATion in SenglEa - Beauty in Diversity
Building on the visions of the residents and local authorities, and through a process of engagement and co-creation with communities of interest and communities of influence, ReCreate has reinvented public spaces for communities in the highly dense urban environment of Senglea, Malta. The project has led to the co-creation of two public spaces and pop-up park art, and has served as fertile ground for experimentation on how to co-create green spaces with and for communities.
Local
Malta
Senglea
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
EIT Community New European Bauhaus
No
Yes
2022-12-31
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Ecostack Innovations Limited Type of organisation: For-profit company First name of representative: Mario Last name of representative: Balzan Gender: Male Nationality: Malta Function: CEO Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: 2065, Kordin Business Incubation Centre, Kordin Industrial Estate Town: Paola Postal code: PLA3000 Country: Malta Direct Tel:+356 7973 0423 E-mail:mario@ecostackinnovations.com Website:https://www.ecostackinnovations.com/
The locality of Senglea is at the heart of Malta's urban conurbation. It is a peninsula with a high-urban density (17,500/KM2), tight-knit community and with low access to green spaces (only 0.6% of the area is a green space). This is where ReCreate comes in to revitalise urban spaces, many of which are dilapidated or underutilised, by reconnecting communities to nature and through a participatory process that fostered interactions, learning, and co-creation action. Two locations in Senglea were selected (Senglea Waterfront and Misrah Andrea Debono), and actions were carried out through several events held on-site:
1.Bioblitz & Visioning Community Workshops-(Figures 1-12): The residents carried out a rapid urban plant assessment where participants identified plants through the use of guidebooks and apps. Suggestions were collected from residents on how the area could be further improved which was followed by a more detailed workshop with stakeholders to identify and prioritise the needs of communities.
2.Being Active & Playful In Senglea activities (Figures 13-27): A second BioBlitz was held to explore urban biodiversity. In addition, a ‘pop-up park’ using temporary instalments of planting and street/play furniture was developed and launched near the historic Senglea Waterfront, the first of its kind in Malta. Indigenous species were planted, street games were held, and climate stripes were painted on the stairs surrounding the square to raise awareness about global warming.
3.Community Implementation Activity (Figures 28-42): The Christmas fair included the following activities:
-Plant and bake sale to raise funds for the local community to continue the greening projects;
-Gardening Workshop and planting of shrubs and flowering plants in the square and surrounding streets;
-Craft, Mosaic art with recycled tiles;
-Placemaking Exhibition presenting the work of local artists and architects developed a mural design inspired by everyday life in Senglea.
Nature-Based Placemaking
Citizen Science
Co-creation
Community gardening
High-density cities
1.To identify and implement nature-positive interventions with the communities that lead to measurable impacts on biodiversity and well-being: By bringing nature and biodiversity back to the city through Nature-Based Placemaking (NBP), ReCreate addressed key societal challenges, including biodiversity loss, inequalities in access to nature, and contributed directly to the well-being and resilience of the community. ReCreate was implemented through a nature-based co-creation methodology to meet the needs of residents while fostering a sense of belonging, beautifying, and using spaces for recreational and cultural needs
2.To develop and test an innovative NBP methodology to improve the quality of urban green spaces through gardening, fairs and placemaking interventions with local communities: The methodology developed for ReCreate combined citizen science and co-creation, as an innovative placemaking approach. Stakeholder engagement was conducted using a snowball sampling recruitment strategy. All stakeholders were invited to a visioning workshop and roundtable focus groups, and many objectives and actions were defined and developed further. As a result, the NBP activities brought communities together to work towards the common objectives and actions
3.To co-design and co-create two new green spaces with the community, artists and practitioners, using reused and repurposed materials: Both locations in Senglea were designed to install wooden planters, DIY street furniture and play elements, trellises and planting-related instalments using recycled wood pallets, fostering circularity and contributing to sustainability. The community identified a site for a new green open space, which was followed by co-creation action leading to the co-design and development of a pop-up park (Figures 13-15), and the transformation of the Andrea Debono square by increasing plant diversity, promoting subsistence urban farming and leading to benefits to biodiversity (Figures 28-30)
1.To bring functionality to unused public spaces, ensuring beauty, quality, and sustainability: ReCreate transformed the empty and underused Senglea Waterfront square by installing a pop-up park (Figures 13-15, 22). This park consists of planters of different shapes and sizes, tables and seats, all made with recycled wooden pallets. The tables have chess boards which have been very well-received, especially by the elderly. Space for child play and activities was included, and together with the NGO, MOVE, children played traditional games (e.g. bocci) within the pop-up park (Figure 13, 23-24). Planting with the community added a sense of belonging, which resulted in the community placing more plants in the days after the event. Additionally, climate stripes were painted to raise awareness of climate change (Figure 15).
The improvement at Misrah's consisted in planting across the square (Figures 28-30, 34-36), painting benches (Figures 4-6), and mosaic art using recycled tiles (Figure 41). In addition, the mural (Figure 38) was designed by one of Malta's most prominent artists, Ed Dingli, and incorporates furniture made from recycled wood pallets. Additional funding is being acquired by Senglea Local Council for the mural, and it will colour the wall of the square and complement the garden and the installed planters, in the next few months.
2. To create beautiful spaces that foster interactions with nature, and enable nature-based recreation for communities: The pop-up park is a good example of how an unused public space can be beautified by bringing greenery into it where residents can have recreational activities. Planting native and non-native ornamental species in both squares has not only benefited the community but also pollinators, resulting in a stronger interaction with nature. Similarly, the restoration of the Misrah's square has contributed to the well-being of the community and has encourage them to keep enhancing and maintaining this public space.
1.To map the stakeholder community and develop a participation and engagement programme to develop a NBP and co-creation programme: ReCreate was focused on creating beautiful and inclusive spaces to reconnect with nature, and this could only be achieved though community and stakeholder engagement. Thus, we conducted a stakeholder mapping exercise that served as a way to identify all stakeholders who contributed to ReCreate.
Part of the dense urban conurbation of Malta, Senglea combines morphological challenges with social diversity, and was selected due to existing marginalised groups and synergistic initiatives, where existing community groups foster inclusion through placemaking initiatives, fostering the relationship between the community and Local Council.
2. To promote equal opportunities in terms of access to nature, strengthening traditions and fairs, leading to a resilient community: The meaningful creation of public open spaces requires an inclusive process. Marginalised groups in Senglea, such as the elderly and children, as well as people from across the gender spectrum, have been brought together through the project's networks, the local council and local community groups. The ReCreate activities brought together all the members of the community:
-Community Gardening workshops (Figures 19-21, 28-30 and 34-36);
-Bioblitz events, where support material was developed for all ages to remain engaging for all (Figures 1-3 and 16-18);
-Art activities, through painting of benches (Figures 4-8), painting of climate stripes (Figure 15), craft workshops (Figures 39-42), and mosaic art using recycled tiles (Figure 41);
-Playful and participatory activities for children to encourage healthy social interaction and physical activity (Figure 24);
-A pop-up park having native plants, picnic tables, chess boards and space for children to play (Figures 13-15);
-A Christmas fair (Figures 28-42);
-Bake sales & plant sales (Figures 31-33);
-Picnics (Figure 12).
Several tactical interventions were developed based on the suggestions and needs of the community, and the citizens were involved in the project from its beginning, through the following activities:
1. Stakeholder mapping, needs assessment, and community engagement in NBP: The stakeholders were identified through the existing contacts of the Senglea Local Council and through a snowball sampling recruitment strategy. Residents were encouraged to discuss further improvements, and a list of suggestions was compiled. These activities were crucial to plan the interventions and activities. NBP activities were carried out by bringing communities together to work towards the common objectives and actions already identified by the stakeholders. These actions were addressed through the organisation of community activities such as setting up planters, and the Christmas Fair.
2. Pop-up park, community planting initiatives and tactical interventions: A pop-up park was designed for an underused square located on the Senglea Waterfront. The aim was to transform the space into a welcoming area for people to socialise. Community members helped to plant ornamental species.
3. Citizen science activities:
-Residents participated in the three events and children took part in planting up the various Maltese and ornamental species acquired
-A Citizen Science guidebook containing information and photos of the most common pollinating insects and plants found in Malta, and the QR codes used for species identification
-Three types of citizen science guidebook sheets were produced: pollinating insects, butterflies and plants. The guidebook and app QR codes were available for additional support in species identification
-Activity sheets were designed for young children to observe, draw and colour in the plants, bees and butterflies
-A microscope was used to take a closer look at the specimens collected during the BioBlitz. A bee collection of Maltese species was displayed
ReCreate has led to the co-design and co-creation of two public spaces, through a process of experimentation involving citizen scientists, ecologists, artists, architects, universities, NGOs, local and environmental authorities, and the community. ReCreate is therefore a pioneer in that as it has brought together the local (Senglea) and national government, and the private sector to experiment with stakeholder engagement in NBP. This has therefore led to an opportunity for further uptake by other municipalities, through the national association of local councils, in a multi-level, trans-disciplinary, and participatory manner.
NGOs and community groups also played an important role in the development and implementation of the ReCreate activities. The NGOs Dawra Madwarna and the Senglea Community Gardens helped in the design of the two spaces chosen for the project, as well as assisting in the gardening activities, including the planting of indigenous Maltese species. During the Being Active & Playful In Senglea activities, the NGO MOVE engaged children to participate in the traditional games of bocci, pasju, tug-of-war and football, encouraging healthy social interaction and physical activity.
ReCreate has fostered citizen engagement and NBP to improve and create open green spaces, strengthen community building, and create more sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive spaces. This is seen as a model for further replication and upscaling, as commented by Malta’s Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise, who stated that “The ReCreate Project engaged Senglea families, academics, environmentalists, landscaping and spatial planning experts and the private sector, to sustainably create a better open space in their community with the support of national and local government entities. The result is a public space that can truly be owned and appreciated by the people, as the community was actively involved in its conception”.
ReCreate served as a way to educate on NBP and to promote participation. Community involvement was an integral part of the planning and design of the two public spaces. In addition, the project activities generated opportunities for qualified professionals to provide their services, contributing to a greener economy. Sustainability, aesthetics and social inclusion are our knowledge fields that were combined through three objectives:
1. Re-connecting with nature: Embedding nature in placemaking contributes to achieving the sustainability challenge of halting biodiversity loss, increasing resilience, addressing inequalities in access to nature, and improving aesthetics. Through community engagement and the BioBlitz activities, the structural, compositional and functional biodiversity characteristics were identified, based upon the needs and vision of the community.
2. Re-gaining a sense of community and belonging: ReCreate focused on capacity-building within the community, and proposed to collaborate with existing networks to strengthen them and attract more people to urban greening initiatives. For instance, the NGO MOVE took part in the placemaking activities by organising street games and painting the climate stripes. During the three events held in Senglea, people of all ages had a great time being in contact with nature and realised that the two squares are an area where they can meet, relax and enjoy the greenery.
3. Prioritising the places and people that need it the most: Senglea has a high degree of disadvantaged communities, who are threatened by gentrification processes under the attractive historic place which they inhabit. Thus, implemented NBP processes have addressed the dialectic urban justice associated with the availability of green space, the integration of affected community groups into planning and space co-design, and envisioning social justice in open spaces by creating opportunities for shared upkeep and creative expression.
After the final interventions, local community groups in collaboration with the local council have continued activities by planting and placing indigenous shrubs in pots around the locality, and in areas that had not been covered by ReCreate. The community have kept the pop-up park installation and the necessary permits have been obtained for this park to become a permanent attraction.
The pop-up park was visited by Malta’s Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise, Miriam Dalli (Figures 25-27), who pointed out the importance of this project and initiative which, working together with the community, transformed unused public spaces and brought biodiversity into cities. The Minister noted that this model of citizen engagement forms an integral part of the Government’s long-term €700 million investment in green open spaces during the next seven years. The pop-up park and the ReCreate project activities were also featured on the local news and national TV (https://one.com.mt/zona-ma-xatt-il-bahar-tigi-mibdula-fpop-up-park-li-jirrispetta-l-kultura-u-l-wirt-storiku-ta-din-il-komunita/).
ReCreate has addressed key challenges (access to green space, community engagement, reimagining and retrofitting high-density city with inclusive green spaces) that are relevant at local and national scales, and created visible and tangible outcomes that can be replicated, enhanced and upscaled in Malta and other high-density cities. This is already happening, and ReCreate is collaborating closely with local government and national authorities for further uptake.
Recommendations on nature-based co-creation placemaking for dense urban contexts were developed and published in January 2023 under the title "Nature-based placemaking in high-density cities. Learning Outcomes arising from the Recreate project", and there is interest to replicate the co-creation and pop-up park activities as part of recently launched 10m € community grant for cities by the Government of Malta.
ReCreate comes as a series of placemaking initiatives in Malta, at a time when such efforts are crucial to post-pandemic efforts of community-building through socio-spatial interventions.
A new methodology was developed by combining citizen science and co-creation as a placemaking tool. In addition to engaging residents, the project also engaged schools, and national stakeholders such as the Local Council Association and higher education institutions (transferable and actionable knowledge), and the public (to promote active leadership, create awareness and empowerment).
The experimental nature of ReCreate allows the replication of the project at different scales, through the publication "Nature-based placemaking in high-density cities. Learning outcomes arising from ReCreate Project".
The methodology developed for ReCreate combined citizen science and co-creation as a placemaking tool. The project engaged with:
1.Residents, community groups, and schools;
2.National stakeholders (transferable and actionable knowledge);
3.General Public (promote active leadership, create awareness and empowerment).
An important part of the methodology was the stakeholder engagement which was conducted using a snowball sampling recruitment strategy. All stakeholders were invited to a visioning workshop and roundtable focus groups to identify the needs and perceptions of communities in Senglea. Subsequently, many objectives and actions were defined and developed further.
Through the ReCreate Nature-Based placemaking (NBP) approach, we have addressed the needs of the communities for open and green public spaces which are both more secure and aesthetic. The NBP approach aims to help members of the community to reconnect with each other through these space, and to create a connection to nature. This is achieved by revitalising and reinventing the public spaces which they explicitly need, establishing them in a place that is largely devoid of such spaces. The NBP approach is therefore a highly dynamic process, and the project has gone through several rounds of feedback collection, and further engagement of artists, architects, gardeners, ecologist, residents, youth and the elderly. The result is to successfully co-create and co-design these places as an outcome of the existing complex web of social-ecological factors and interactions.
ReCreate has used NBP as a tool to bring communities together to work towards the common objectives and actions identified by stakeholders during the process. Existing citizen engagement activities were strengthened, and dilapidated public spaces were upgraded through nature-based co-creation and artistic citizen activities leading to more beautiful, sustainable and inclusive public spaces.
ReCreate developed and tested a methodology that integrated stakeholder engagement and citizen science approaches. The development of recommendations to replicate and/or upscale have been shared as a separate publication with the stakeholders.
1.Silo-busting through NBP: One of the successes of the ReCreate project has been to bring together partners from different sectors with complementary expertise. This allowed us to identify a wide range of activities that have been implemented, and that were supported by the community and community groups, and public and private stakeholders.
2.Local experimentation to create positive experiences and foster NBP: The team identified the need for interventions that foster awareness, education and investment in local communities through participatory processes and deliberation on discussed points of view. When implemented, these interventions are owned by communities, who can decide to review and enhance past actions, or expand and replicate them in other areas that have not been covered by the project.
3.Generate private and public investment: ReCreate has led to a collaboration with national authorities, local government and public entities. Private citizens, organisations and enterprises working within the region have shown an interest to fund or to participate in fundraising initiatives that will continue to foster NBP in the long term.
EU Horizon projects will follow up on ReCreate and in which the team is testing and replicating complimentary measures.
-GoGreenRoutes, which aims to promote the greening of cities and enhance the physical and mental health through. We will assess the impacts of greening on biodiversity and well-being in multiple EU cities.
-SELINA that aims to provide guidance that supports the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of our environment. We will create a digital solution that facilitates interaction with nature, and evaluates visitation and use of these spaces.
Facing the growing challenges of climate change, particularly in Southern Europe, it becomes more imperative to develop an approach to increase the resilience of cities by increasing urban green spaces, biodiversity and inclusion by encouraging and involving the community to improve and make use of previously unused public spaces.
Furthermore, NBS plays an important global role in minimizing the impacts of climate change, bringing nature back to cities, even for high populated cities with lack of space. The project was applied locally, however it has the potential to be replicated in large cities and contribute to decelerating the loss of biodiversity, and allowing access to nature for people who were previously marginalized, making them more active and promoting well-being.
