New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
director@fundatiacomunitaraoradea.ro

Basic information
Initiative title
Liberty Park Oradea

Full initiative Title
Liberty Park - A park for the community

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
We plant flowers and beautiful things together in the Liberty Park and in the communities of Oradea.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Romania

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Oradea City Hall

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Oradea Community Foundation
  Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation
  First name of representative: Claudia
  Last name of representative: Abrudan
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Romania
  Function: Executive Director
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Republicii 30, Crisul Shopping Center, Comuniteca 2nd Floor
  Town: Oradea
  Postal code: 410159
  Country: Romania
  Direct Tel: +40 743 295 486
  E-mail: director@fundatiacomunitaraoradea.ro
  Website: https://fundatiacomunitaraoradea.ro/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/fcoradea
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064363251830
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
The Liberty Park became poorer due to the departure of the one who had enlivened the paths of the park with real flower shows for passers-by, we thought that the area was worth maintaining in the same note and saw the opportunity to develop it into a versatile urban space that would host various activities . With the financial support of 4 companies, in partnership with the Oradea City Hall and with the help of a team of hardworking volunteers who provided over 500 hours of volunteering, we redecorated the entire flowering area expanding the flowering part by adding a huge mosaic of flowers and transformed this place into a veritable garden of civic initiatives, in a park for the community inviting Oradea citizens to join us, to learn how to plant and care for flowers so that they can then return to where they live, to the areas of their neighborhoods where they can do the same thing. We have organized various open-air workshops, concerts, theater performances and art performances, painting and art exhibitions here, line dancing evenings (over 80 events organized in 2022). Through volunteer actions in the park, we offer an example of community engagement, we believe that each of us is responsible for beautifying the areas where we live because Oradea is our city, everyone's, and it is our duty to get involved in its care and development.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Community

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Engagement

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Sustainability

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Revitalization

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Environment

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Objectiv #1: To continue the planting activities and the volunteering actions in the park with the aim of coagulating positive energies from the community. The planting and maintenance activities of the park are organized with the support of a team of dedicated volunteers, 80 people are active in the group of volunteers specially created for this purpose. In addition, two local companies periodically participate with teams of volunteers in the CSR actions organized periodically within these companies. We have a permanent open call for registration of new volunteers.
Objectiv #2: To continue offering free workshops and activities for the community. Most of the workshops, expositions and cultural events are organized in partnerships with other local stakeholders: The Francisc Hubic Arts School, Photo School Varadinum, Grund Community and other NGOs. For the necessary materials the Oradea Community Foundation carries out permanent fundraising activities.
Objectiv #3: To continue replanting flower bulbs every fall/spring depending on the situation. In order to cover the costs of the annual replanting of the bulbs and the purchase of the necessary materials for educational activities, the Oradea Community Foundation carries out permanent fundraising activities. Also, the Oradea Community Foundation is based on the support and trust of a large number of companies that permanently support its programs and on a solid partnership with Oradea City Hall.
The initiative is an example of collaboration between local authorities, local companies and civil society resulting in vast benefits for the entire community that can enjoy an exceptional park and a multitude of free outdoor activities contributing at the same time to the increase of the feeling of local belonging and to the strengthening of the links in the community.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Objective#1: Community engagement. The activities in the park are organized with the support of a team of dedicated volunteers, 80 people are active in the group of volunteers specially created for this purpose. In addition, two local companies periodically participate with teams of volunteers in the CSR actions organized and we have a permanent call for volunteering registration.
Most of the workshops, expositions and cultural events are organized in partnerships with other local stakeholders: The Francisc Hubic Arts School, Photo School Varadinum, Grund Community and other NGOs.
Objective #2: Creating a place for artistic manifestation. A piano was permanently placed in the park, encouraging the manifestation of the artistic spirit of the passers-by with the aim of delighting the passers-by with real piano concerts in an unconventional public space.
Objectiv #3: Highlighting local cultural values and treasures. A city mosaic was painted on one of the park's alleys, the sketch that can be found on the alley next to the piano abounds in eclectic decorative elements mixed with "Art Nouveau" architectural details from Oradea's urban heritage repertoire. The local artist Roxana Stan opens a kaleidoscope-type window on this path to a third dimension, to a universe permeated by esotericism addressed to man as a participant in the daily life of the citadel and a member of the community.
We brought the art in the park, together with the Francisc Hubic School of Arts, we organized two days dedicated to the arts with the participation of young plastic artists who exhibited their works, ballerinas and dancers who performed in the alleys of the park, symphonic concerts held by the students of the classical music section.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Objective#1: Free activities for all ages. The activities and workshops organized in the park are always free of charge and dedicated to the entire community, which is invited to actively participate in the revitalization of this urban space and also to enjoy the results of their work. The volunteering activities are open to all those who want to donate their time to the community and the organized workshops are dedicated to all age groups from children and young people to adults and seniors. We organize workshops dedicated to seniors whom we want to keep active in the life of the city with the aim of valuing them on the one hand but also with the aim of benefiting from their professional experience and expertise (some of the volunteers present at the actions in the park are retired). Through the actions in which both young people and seniors of the community participate, we manage to create an inter generational bridge.
Objectiv #2: Integration of other ethnic groups. Oradea has over 20% Hungarian population making a priority for us to integrate workshops and activities in their native language. In partnership with NGOs dedicated to ethnic communities in Oradea, we organize joint cultural activities with the aim of strengthening relations between citizens belonging to different ethnicity and making their traditions and culture known.
Objectiv#3: Activities for our seniors. Every week, we organize line dancing evenings and dancing classes in the park in partnership with Exclusive Dance Club Oradea. In 2023 we have other workshops in plan: English classes, knitting classes, fitness classes, arts classes, all dedicated to our senior citizens.
Objectiv#4: Integration of Ukrainian refugees living in Oradea. During the last summer we organized workshops dedicated to Ukrainian refugee families with the support of a translator. Additionally, we organized humanitarian aid actions and distribution and Romanian language classes to help them integrate in the community.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
The workshops organized under the name "School in the park" are free, as are all the cultural and artistic activities that we organize. Also, through the volunteering activities dedicated to the care of the park, the whole community is encouraged to participate in the beautification of the urban space, thus creating a sense of belonging to local values and encouraging the development of the civic spirit of the inhabitants of our city.
Also, through the organized activities, we contribute to environmental education and to raising awareness about environmental issues with the aim of generating responsible behaviors for a green future.
Our goal is to replicate this type of activity in the urban areas of the neighborhoods, the first micro-community event inspired by the activities in Libertatii Park thus took place in the Europe Quarter in Oradea where the residents, with the support of the Oradea Community Foundation, organized the first event of this micro-community entitled " Europe neighborhood days" which consisted of games and activities for children, tasting of home-made products according to traditional recipes, networking between the residents of the neighborhood .

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
In the first part of the implementation of the project, we established the directions of action in the community in partnership with representatives of the sponsor that financed the urban revitalization project and with the support of the local public authorities through representatives of the Oradea City Hall. We also involved in the planning part of the landscaping, horticultural specialists who drew up the landscape plans on a voluntary basis. The landscaping and floral transformation of the park was done exclusively with volunteers (over 500 hours of volunteering in 2022).
The project continues in 2023 through the involvement of the local academic environment through a competition of architectural project solutions addressed to students from the Faculty of Architecture who are called to offer a permanent solution for housing the piano. This solution will be later implemented through a new financing offered by the same company.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The Freedom Park was the first large-scale initiative carried out through an extensive partnership between the entrepreneurial environment, local public authorities and civil society. This action took place through 4 separate actions: the identification by the Oradea Community Foundation of the need in the community, the exposure of this need to the local public authorities and the conclusion of a partnership, the identification and co-optation of companies in the project by obtaining the necessary funds for implementation and the involvement of civil society through the activities of volunteering.
The great achievement of this project is the increase in the degree of collaboration between public authorities, the entrepreneurial environment and citizens with benefits that are reflected in the increase in the quality of life of the inhabitants, a better understanding of environmental issues, the increase in the degree of involvement of citizens in solving community problems, the intensification the dialogue between public authorities and civil society and increasing the sense of belonging and local pride.
Also, by co-opting environmental specialists who hold free workshops on recycling and waste reuse, we contribute to increasing the level of ecological education of our city's citizens.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
The innovative character of our project consists in the transformation of an urban space into a community space, in a real "garden of civic initiatives" encouraging the community not only to admire a beautifully landscaped area but even to get involved in finding solutions, in the proposal of activities, in the maintenance and beautification of a space that the community can then use with joy by participating in the events that we organize. There is always an open call for activity proposals and we are always looking for partners to organize new types of tailored activities based on the needs identified in the community.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
Our goal is for the Freedom Park project to be replicated in the micro-communities of Oradea and Bihor County by identifying suitable urban spaces in the neighbourhoods of the city, by expanding the partnership with public authorities to other areas in Oradea's neighborhoods, by facilitating contact between landscaping experts and leaders the workshops we organize, by conducting consultation sessions with community members, by offering support in finding the most suitable solutions for the urban revitalization of the spaces identified with the help of our volunteer experts, through fundraising plans that are based on good marketing strategies, through solutions for activation and involvement of volunteers.
The project can be easily replicated in any other community in Romania or any other country.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
A space much loved by the people of Oradea that we have set out to make even more personal for the community. We wanted to see how the creative spirit and community make their mark on this park. We approached the City Hall and proposed a partnership, we started to identify the financial meanings to have it implemented and we asked the help of the community to help us. The outcome? A landscaped and revitalized park, where we continue to organize activities to enliven the area through piano concerts, plays, live performances, artistic events, dance evenings, practical workshops in Romanian and Hungarian for all tastes and the ages.
Why?
Because Liberty Park deserves to be more than a promenade area.
How did we change Liberty Park into a community park?
Through a funding of 35,000 euros through which the Oradea Community Foundation managed to revitalize this park. At the same time, according to a collaboration protocol signed with Oradea City Hall for a period of 5 years, the Foundation is committed to cleaning and maintaining the green space.
The results of our project are: over 80 activities were organised in 2022, 8.000 flower bulbs were planted, more then 4.000 direct beneficiaries, 500 hours of volunteering, 80 active volunteers, 5 partnerships. The number of indirect beneficiaries cannot be even estimated, being located next to the Crisul river, The Liberty Park is one of the favorite promenade area of Oradea and it became even more frequented as a result of the floristic show offered after the plantings and the ad-hoc concerts at the piano placed in the park or enjoy classic music broadcasted by the speakers hidden between the flowers. Currently the park is one of local attractions preferred by the citizens and the tourists following the local`s recommendations.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
One of the global changes addressed throughout the workshops organized in our project is Sustainable Development and Climate Change. From children to adults and seniors the participants are learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle, how to develop a sustainable behaviour, how to actively get involved in protecting our natural resources. Also, by offering free access to our activities and trainings we contribute to increasing the level of education of the participants. Throughout our multicultural events, we are contributing to the process of understanding different cultures and also to emphasize aspects of Romanian and other ethnical groups culture and traditions.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
We continue to organize the volunteering activities in park (at least 1 activity / month with a minimum of 20 volunteers involved). We have a big planting event scheduled for the spring of 2023.
We continue to organize outdoor workshops and activities (at least 80 activities and workshops for 2023).
We started a new project that involves the City Hall, The County Directorate for Culture and Oradea Faculty of Architecture wich consits in launching a contest for the students of Oradea Faculty of Architecture to provide a solution for the
the replacement of the pavilion that houses the piano, which is outdated and must be replaced with an ensemble that integrates into the urban space of the park, which is part of the protected area of the city of Oradea.
The winning project will be implemented and the piano will get a new pavilion to protect it and to enhance the beauty of the park as well.
The results of our project are: over 80 activities were organised in 2022, 8.000 flower bulbs were planted, more then 4.000 direct beneficiaries, 500 hours of volunteering, 80 active volunteers, 5 partnerships. The number of indirect beneficiaries cannot be even estimated, being located next to the Crisul river, The Liberty Park is one of the favorite promenade area of Oradea and it became even more frequented as a result of the floristic show offered after the plantings and the ad-hoc concerts at the piano placed in the park or enjoy classic music broadcasted by the speakers hidden between the flowers. Currently the park is one of local attractions preferred by the citizens and the tourists following the local`s recommendations.
The project is model of community engagement and collaboration between various stakeholders bringing changes in behaviors and creating a veritable sense of belonging for the locals.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Both
PDF
- pdf-1-23813.pdf
Web link
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
The range of activities organized is very wide: from photography to painting, plays, film screenings, concerts and artistic performances, painting workshops, African drumming workshops, road education workshops, outdoor theater workshops, musical instrument making workshops, arts and crafts workshops, flower planting and care workshops, ballroom and line dancing workshops. The workshops are open to people of any age so that the little ones are otherwise exposed to very varied fields and we believe that this exposure will contribute to the development of new skills and competences. Also, adults and seniors have the opportunity to explore areas that they wanted to approach but that they did not manage to reach for reasons related to their trajectory throughout life. In this way, we contribute to the education of the young generation and to the completion of the competences of adults.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
- Links.docx
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes