Greening and beautify the center of Kozani with reusable materials in an inclusive way
Greenovate project tries to revitalize and beautify the center of Kozani adding greening space through window boxes, planters and benches in main corridors of the center, on the pedestrian places across the town’s market area. The stars of the project are young students who give ideas, draw plans and play roles towards a neutral climate city by 2030. Their ideas become a reality transforming ex-industrial material into modern urban equipment performing circular economy in practice
Local
Greece
Municipality of Kozani and Region of Western Macedonia
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
EIT Community New European Bauhaus: Co-Creation of public space through citizen engagement
No
Yes
2022-12-31
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Entrepreneurship Support Foundation JOIN4CS Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Dimitrios Last name of representative: Kouras Gender: Male Nationality: Greece Function: President of the board Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Issou 4 Town: Kozani Postal code: 50132 Country: Greece Direct Tel:+30 694 539 4379 E-mail:dkouras@gmail.com Website:https://join4cs.eu/
The Greenovate project tries to revitalize and beautify the center of Kozani town adding greening space through window boxes in main corridors of the center, on the pedestrian places across the town’s market area. Furthermore, the project revitalized degraded green places in the center of the town that were close to the public, by an integrated and sustainable rehabilitation of the green spaces, with the use of sustainable materials (window boxes from reuse materials and benches coming from reused plastic/metallic waste) formulating lovely places for kids and seniors.
The main feature of the Greenovate project is the active engagement of local businesses and young students not only in the planning and preparation phase but also by the adaptation of the green space for preservation, daily care and the sense of belonging through the initiative “Greenovate project”.
Greening and beautifying my city
Learning by doing
Inspiring and engange young students
Circulal enonomy in practice
Industrial heritage
“Greenovate” project’s objective is to inspire the citizens of Kozani to substantially improve their quality of life, through the radical change in the natural environment of the town center and the promotion of a new mindset based on stewardship and sense of belonging. The core objective of the project is the active involvement of students in planning and in configuration of the interventions. The students have been informed about the benefits of a circular economy and the need to transform green areas (schools, neighborhoods, parts of the town) to sustainable and livable areas. In addition, young students were also involved during the project’s implementation with the stewardship and protection of the green spots created. The innovative character of the Action is the use of reusable material for the development of urban equipment with the involvement of students in planning and disseminating the project but also promoting the idea of sustainability and the principles of circular economy. Those areas could be used for learning purposes showing the different forms of the material from ‘cradle to grave’ examining the product’ life cycle and how most of the end-life materials could follow the same treatment.
Key objectives are the improvement of aesthetics in the town center with the use of flowers and seasonal plants. The use of reusable material for the development of window boxes, contributes to the beautification and refreshment of the town center which used to pay low attention to the green spots with just a few areas with even fewer flowers in them. Following the development of green spots in the town center, we expect a reduction of temperature during the summertime and the feel of cooling and refreshing to the people working or passing by. Last but not least, through the project the town connects with its energy industrial heritage. For more than 50 years the broader area of Kozani used to be the core production area of electricity through coal mining in the country. The energy generation was based on lignite combustion accounting for 80% of the country’s energy needs. Now due to energy transition, this industrial heritage is flagging and the need to reuse the materials instead of wasting them is huge. Our proposal is about the use of scrap material and equipment for other uses as a tangible result of connecting the industrial past with the future. It also serves as a connecting point for the district's two generations: the elderly people, that used to work in the coal industry and the youth, who have attained environmental education and green skills, in order to shape a common and inclusive future.
The public realm infrastructure will be qualitatively improved with the inclusion of flowers and green spots that are currently missing from the town contributing to a radical change to the aesthetic result of the town center and the cooling/refresh of the polluted town environment especially during summertime. The town of Kozani, as a climate neutral and smart town up to 2030, will have the chance to present and transfer this current project as a good practice for larger cities across Europe. Due to the fact that the schools and youth creative centers were involved from the initial phase, all knowledge triangle aspects were covered in theory and in practice. Education about the environmental, social and economic benefits were offered to students, innovation lessons about the principles of the circular economy and sustainability in practice and business case with their active involvement in project execution. The project involved mostly women in the education and training activities as well as for the citizens’ engagement strategy. An association of people with special needs was asked to adopt a Green Area and to participate in the project planning. Project dissemination took place by the citizens’ engagement actions (filling questionnaires and finding town gardeners), the production of a leaflet in 5000 copies and 2 social accounts with all activities of the project and lessons learnt.
The ‘Greenovate project radically improved the beauty and the sense of refreshment of the town center with the placement of window boxes and planters for flowers and plants in main walking corridors of Kozani town. In addition, the project revitalized Green Areas in the town with small clusters of window boxes and benches. The social impact of the project was high due to the direct involvement of specific target groups for the project planning and implementation but more importantly with their engagement for stewardship after the project ends. The target groups (young students, business owners, employees, self-employed persons) who work in the town center committed on a voluntary basis to take care of a window box outside of their business/working place. The same was done in schools that we supplied with planters and benches to beautify their direct space. The idea is to change the people’s mindset for the public space and to count it as their own space that has to be preserved and be protected. To sustain engagement in the long term a tag in the form of a QR code was embedded to remind the commitment but also the ownership.
The economic impact was also important due to the shortage of available resources from the municipality for green areas conservation and care. According to the Department of Green, the available funds were enough only for the 80% of the cost encountered for green works and stewardship. The other 20% was covered by volunteers but some works were postponed or delayed due to the shortage of resources. Therefore, the bigger citizens’ engagement to stewardship will have a significant economic impact that otherwise could not be affordable.
The project was a pilot project approved by the Call for Proposals for Co-Creation of public space through citizen engagement for 2022. Three (3) were the major stakeholders participating in the design and project implementation. First, a non-for-profit entity that had the lead and brought all stakeholders together under the idea of transforming ex-industrial material to usable urban equipment. The organization had the initial idea and brought together the other stakeholders in order to make them partners under an idea that could be beneficial for all.
The second is the local municipality that embraced the whole idea, especially the mayor himself who was involved in the New European Bauhaus at the first steps with proposals and participation in relevant events. Without their strong engagement the whole project could not be realized.
The third was the local University’s Department of fine Arts, whose professors were enthusiastic with the idea and helped in transforming an equipment with totally different usage to something beautiful and functional as the urban equipment is. The added value delivered to the project was their designs, the proposed processes, the colors and everything relating with the final tangible result.
The Greenovate project ran locally with the involvement of urban architects, sculptors, designers with the respective knowledge fields as well as 3D designer experts. All the above disciplines interacted very creatively in order to provide the best possible solution, keeping the idea of sustainability in the core of their effort. Certainly the whole project was a challenge taking into consideration the difference in attitude of local authorities who were reluctant to change and to present something sustainable and beautiful but at the same time functional and aesthetically related to the mainstream ideas of how urban equipment is supposed to be. We believe that the added value is high and this is reflected in the final object designs and manufacturing items.
1. 50-60 reusable material window boxes, benches and large planters will be placed in the most important town’s pedestrian corridors. All material will be reusable. All producing materials shall have high aesthetic value and similar characteristics.
2 At least 5000 leaflets with information about the initiative and how a citizen could participate
3. At least 300 students have been informed and encouraged to participate in the initiative ‘Greenovate project’ by information sessions to schools, kindergartens and youth creative centers and created their own proposal for ‘greening and beautifying my city’.
4. At least 100 students/parents/educators will be engaged for stewarding and adaptation of a Green Area nearby their school or a youth creative center.
The impact of the GREENOVATE project is quite important in terms of aiding the municipality of Kozani to reach its targets towards neutral emissions up to 2030. In parallel, it helped the municipality build a connection between the urban environment and the industrial energy generation heritage of the area, as an integral part of its history. Throughout the project, we had the opportunity to conduct informative visits in schools of Kozani, educating the students and teachers about the circular economy and how it could be achieved locally. Materials that are at the end of their life cycle and could be reborn, changing their utility and use them as urban equipment like benches, planters and window boxes.
The innovative character of the Action is highlighted by the use of reusable material for the development of Green Areas with the involvement of students in planning and dissemination of the project, from the initial design to the closing ceremony, while promoting the idea of sustainability and the principles of circular economy. Those areas were used for learning purposes showing the different forms of the material from ‘cradle to grave’ examining the product’ life cycle and how most of the materials could follow the same treatment. As Kozani is in the center of Western Macedonia in Greece, where decarbonisation has started since 2019, it was important that the project linked the industrial heritage of the area with the vision for a new, sustainable and designed to include all citizens future. We used the industrial materials collected from the “dying” coal industry in order to highlight this as part of a glorious past that helped the area thrive economically for many years, but also as a symbolism for its future, as an area that supports green innovation and green investments.
The methodology for the engagement of the local stakeholders is divided into 3 sections/target groups:
1st the young students from kindergartens and primary schools to secondary schools of Kozani municipality have been informed about the project and interacted to formulate their own ‘Greening my town’ proposal.
2nd The second target group refers to students coming from Fine Arts dep. of University of Western Macedonia in Florina. The students have been asked to co-create some of the constructions to deliver by the project. Before than an information of the New European Bauhaus movement has been provided to students and the particular idea of the Greenovate project. Scope is to give students to understand the concept of New European Bauhaus and to actively participate in Greenovate project co-creation activities.
3rd The third target group refers to the professionals and business people of the town centre. Those people have been engaged in the project for the protection and stewardship of the constructions. Scope was to inform the people about the project and the initiative and ask them to participate actively through protection and stewardship.
The best ideas were incorporated into the final design of urban equipment objects. The designing team took into consideration the ideas and proposals from students and some of them were used in the final designs.
The materials used were of 2 kinds: First metal air tanks inquired by the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO).. The air tanks were stored at their facilities and will go for selling as metal before our inquiry.
The second was construction debris that was used to formulate benches and planters. The mold of those items was developed in a 3D printing system in order to give the feeling of 3D items.
Finally the urban equipment delivered will protect and take care of the students and the shop owners who participate in the initiative.
There are 2 elements that could be replicated and transferred to other places and groups.
Firstly there is the social engagement methodology. The project engaged key society members like students who dream of a better future and are more keen to adapt new solutions and prospects. The major benefit out of this process was not only the protection and stewardship of the projected items but also to understand the meaning of circular economy and how it could function in practice. Many people hear about the reused practices but they cannot realize how this could happen. Therefore, this element deserves to be further exported. On the other hand it engaged various people from the business sector that were keen on participating in the beautification and purification of their surroundings that could also help their businesses become more attractive. Lastly, the project connected the local authorities, with schools and the university, inspiring them to adopt the circularity of goods and products.
The second relates with the process itself. We proceed with the designs being inspired by students and art professionals. The change of usage for the ex-industrial materials is a circular economy lesson that needs to be further known. There are so many unexplored opportunities for the circular economy that need more creative thinking to change the use and to give life to a material or equipment. Especially in areas like Kozani who are in the energy transition phase, similar opportunities exist.
The global challenges related to climate change and the severe weather conditions everywhere on our planet. The GREENOVATE project tackles climate change locally, proposing the re-use of ex-industrial material from ‘cradle to grave’ minimizing the need for new equipment, the need for transferring and elaborating the new materials. In addition, window boxes and planters are used to offer some cooling spots in the city center. The idea is to place those window boxes in main pedestrian corridors of green spots in the town center which will lower the temperature during the summertime and give a feeling of cooling and refreshing to the people working or passing by. Most importantly, educating young students on circular economy and sustainability and how they can be creative with existing materials is a global goal of educational systems that need to incorporate in their curricula. Our scope is to change the attitude of young people towards climate change and what each one of us could achieve by ‘giving a better insight to the closet’.
