New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Project category

Identify the award category for which this project is being submitted
Prioritising the places and people that need it the most

Email user
tanja.stajdohar@kocevje.si

Basic information
Project title
Intergenerational cooperation park

Full Project Title
Planning and implementation of the park renovation and a programme of workshops for all user groups

Please provide a short, catchy description of your project to be used in communication towards the public.
In the past, intergenerational cooperation was taken for granted. It took place mainly within families, with different generations living together and knowledge being passed on from the elderly to the younger. Today, lifestyles have changed and a gap has been created. The Intergenerational Cooperation Park project fills this gap, which has been created by a different way of life, through various activities. An important part of the project is the creation of a special intergenerational space in

What was the geographical scope of your project?
Local

Where was your project implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Slovenia

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
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Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

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

Has your project benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
Yes

Which fund(s)?
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund

Here you can provide more details about the name of the specific programme, strand/action line as relevant, and the year
The project runs on the program for local action groups, partners are the People's University of Kočevje and Ljubo Šercer Primary School. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund for EUR 80,000 and the project value is EUR 150,000.

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

Is your project fully completed
Yes

Please indicate a date (mm/yy)
2022-10-21

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): Municipality of Kočevje
  Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local)
  First name of representative: Irena
  Last name of representative: Škufca
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Slovenia
  Function: Senior consultant for the preparation of project documentation for calls for EU funds
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Ljubljanska cesta 26
  Town: Kočevje
  Postal code: 1330
  Country: Slovenia
  Direct Tel: +38618938226
  E-mail: irena.skufca@kocevje.si
  Website: https://www.kocevje.si/objava/619725
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.kocevje.si/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://www.facebook.com/kocevje
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083036303864
In case my project 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 project in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Newsletter from national Ministry of Economic Development and Technology

Description of the project
Please provide a summary of your project.
The intergenerational park is 1300 m2 in size and was built on the site of an old playground or lawn with a few pieces of playground equipment. It has been renovated with the aim of creating a high-quality green public space, also suitable for elderly users and those with special needs. The premises of the Association of Pensioners of Kočevje and the Ljubo Šercer Primary School and the Zbora odposlancev Primary School are also located nearby. The existing children's playgrounds have been preserved and consolidated under the shade of a lime tree. The main planning objective was to create spaces for socializing and safe movement, so two areas were created. On the lower edge, under the shade of the newly planted trees, there are several elements of urban equipment for socializing, and in the upper part, there are several new wooden games or elements specifically designed to maintain the basic motor skills of the elderly and similarly able-bodied. The park thus offers different corners for different needs and all generations. Public lighting has also been installed and the cross path leading further to the River Rhinza has been reinforced.
The project has organized a number of workshops in the newly landscaped park on intergenerational cooperation, healthy living, and the reuse of materials. The workshops will run until the end of the project in July and are run by various organizations and associations. As part of the project, in May Kočevje will also receive a small electric vehicle, the "cavalier", which will be used for the various needs of the organizations and institutions involved.

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words.
intergenerational cooperation

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Pensioners

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
primary school

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
children with special needs

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
workshops in the park

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Sustainability in the project was ensured by:
- participatory design, involving all user groups in the vicinity: primary school, pensioners' association, and primary school for children with special needs, so that the project responded to specific needs and will continue to respond to them over time.
- The materials used for the new equipment were mostly wood with a mix of metal (which is in the minority), fruit trees were planted, and the areas are permeable and sustainably landscaped.
- the purchase of a mini electric vehicle will be able to respond to the mobility needs of the elderly within the city, thus reducing the number of car journeys in the city
- the sustainability of knowledge and intergenerational coexistence must be promoted today, which is why suitable spaces have been created for mixed-generation gatherings and a number of workshops for all have been held in this space.

In practice, these objectives have been achieved because the physical renovation has been successfully carried out, with a few simple changes and additions of equipment. More emphasis has been placed on the content, on the implementation of workshops that invite people into the space and show its potential uses.
The project is exemplary in this way because it brings together groups with completely different needs that can be realized in a shared space. There they meet, learn about diversity and learn from each other.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project 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 project can be exemplary in this context.
The design focused on adapting the space to a variety of users, who in fact have similar constraints and needs - the space should be safe and easily accessible, the materials durable, the equipment multi-use, the location quiet and away from traffic, with plenty of shade and pleasant for socializing. We wanted to achieve a simple organization of the space, with three units of areas for socializing; the first with lots of benches and tables for sitting, creating, and socializing; the second with children's play areas and the third with equipment for the elderly people to move around.
A shortcut used to run through the lawn, which is now a concrete path to facilitate wheelchair access, and the rest is in the lawn, gravel, or wood chips. The site is safe because of its location and has been improved with public lighting.
By designing, equipping, and running workshops in the park (more than 50 in total), we wanted to indicate the potential of the renovated space. It is used in the morning by primary school children from the two nearest schools, and in the afternoon by senior citizens and passers-by. Once just a passageway, today it offers much more, and the response has been accordingly.
The project is exemplary in the way it creates a platform for a wide variety of content for a wide variety of users through simple physical interventions. They mix and mingle and look out for each other in the park, making the space alive throughout the day and an inviting public green space, close to institutions and institutions as well as residential buildings.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project 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 project can be exemplary in this context.
We wanted to involve all social groups by designing and asking about their needs. Before the renovation, we spoke to pupils from the two nearest schools; primary school children came right out onto the green and talked, and pupils from the special needs school shared their needs with their teachers. They also contributed some ideas to facilitate their trips out. The second target group was pensioners, who were also able to express their views on the space, what bothers them, and what they still need here.
The park is accessible to all on equal terms, without fences, and is open and illuminated all year round. The park is managed by a public company, which ensures that all the equipment and playground equipment is safe and in good working order through regular inspections.
The project is exemplary because of the active interaction between generations, both in the workshops and in daily use, and also because of the participants prior to the renovation itself, which focused on a simple but quality design where accessibility and safety are paramount.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the project and civil society have been involved in the project and what has been the impact of this involvement on the project
The primary school next to the site (grades 1-3) was invited to a workshop in the park itself, and the pupils from the Ljubo Šercer Primary School (special needs), together with their teachers, drew up a wish list, which was unfortunately mostly unfeasible, as the wishes were incompatible with the characteristics of a public green space and a public playground, which has to comply with certain legislative requirements.
The pensioners were also involved in a workshop prior to the renovation, where we talked about the green space, the activities of the children that are disturbing for them (everything where a ball is used), what equipment they would need to make more and better use of the park. We also talked to them and to people with physical disabilities about play equipment that can encourage them to move as much as they are able and maintain their motor skills.
However, we did not involve enough other citizens who live right next to the park and whose fear of vandalism, noise from more users, etc., has been brought about by the redevelopment. These are common fears when we develop a public space where there was nothing before, which then becomes a lively green space. In these cases, people only foresee bad consequences, which do not actually happen because of the increase in security (lights) and visits (more equipment). One resident also felt bad about the renovation of the park because it removed illegal access to her garden through the public space, so she felt a severe loss of her ''rights''. We, therefore had some concerned calls at the time of construction, anticipating worst-case scenarios, which then did not materialize. Today, the park is a popular common area.
The involvement of key users has contributed to the success of the renovation, thanks to the equipment and design chosen. However, the non-involvement of the first neighbors had a negative impact on the project during construction, as we had to communicate more ''backward'' as a consequence.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the project. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was.
Stakeholder involvement took place only at the local level, as explained in the previous question. But we have been inspired by good European practices, based on the principles of accessibility, participation, and placemaking.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your project. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was.
In the preparation of the project, the planning of the renovation, and the implementation of the soft amenities, we were guided by our knowledge of the sociology and psychology of the social groups to which the park would "belong". In the design of the renovation, this was the knowledge of landscape architecture, and in the content, in addition to the institutions already mentioned, the People's University also contributed. Colleagues from the civil engineering sector were also involved in the implementation, which ensured good details during the construction that would allow sustainability and support the aesthetic ideas.
The added value of multidisciplinarity should become the default norm as it results in more successful renovation, greater sustainability, and meeting more needs of stakeholders, users, and managers.

Please give information on the results, outcomes and impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for. This includes also benefits from the project for direct and indirect beneficiaries
It was a project involving future users whose needs are not standard due to their social characteristics. A renovation of the area was carried out with a first-year program where vulnerable groups were addressed and the renovation was carried out with their needs in mind. We selected public green space, which is essential for quality urban living, as an area for bringing communities together and adapted it into a multi-generational area, where we looked for feasible arrangements that would meet certain specific needs. For example, in another park in another location, we probably would not have paved the main path with concrete (wheelchair accessibility), we probably would not have installed so many benches (elderly and children with special needs), and we probably would not have installed games for the elderly.
The project's formal indicators were:
1 park area with 1400 m2 of playgrounds and urban equipment, promotion of the operation in the Local Action Group area, a course for family and other informal carers (10 meetings), intergenerational cooperation workshops in the Ljubo Šercer Primary School (11 meetings), basic health education workshops in the framework of the Centre for Health Promotion (10 meetings), relaxation workshops, familiarisation with the local area (4 meetings), purchase of an electric car, creation of a subpage on the municipality's website and a Facebook page for the project, 5 filmed stories, 6 articles in the local media TV Kočevje, 1 workshop on waste separation.

Please provide documents showing the results, outcomes and impacts of your project
Web link
Web link
Please highlight the innovative character of the project, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the project
The innovation of the project lies in the participation before the renovation and the inclusion of different vulnerable groups, as ''normal'' renovations are usually designed for the average user without special needs. The area we landscaped had a couple of existing old outdoor playground elements. The approach of the colleagues would be to buy some random benches and equipment for the children. But I have prepared a complete renovation by optimising the existing play areas, without buying new ones, and by creating additional areas for other user groups.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your project.
- working with primary school pupils about the existing green area
- talking to teachers at the school for children with disabilities and getting their needs and wishes
- designing the renovation of the park
- finding a co-financing call
- planning a set of workshops for all vulnerable groups
- Applying for a co-funding call
- public procurement for the renovation
- investment process
- opening of the park and implementation of the workshops

Please describe which elements of your project could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and context. This may involve for example aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings etc.
The project could be replicated as a model for engaging with vulnerable social groups. In addition to the needs of the users, the design of the space is determined by the spatial conditions of the existing site, which are unique each time. The collaborative approach, the gathering of inputs for the selection of equipment and the way the space is designed, is one that can be translated to all locations, as well as the implementation of activities in the renovated area itself. The content of the program and workshops would probably vary from place to place, but for the immediate usability of the new space, it is useful to add a program at the beginning, through which citizens adopt the space and then prefer to use it in the future.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addresses by providing local solutions
- the inclusion of vulnerable groups in society, connecting different generations in space and through experience, and the building of solidarity are the themes, addressed by workshops and the institutions/societies involved
- Creating a space that brings quality to the lives of different generations, to meet the diversity of needs through furnishing and design, not just the most common needs of everyday people.
- reducing loneliness and strengthening the mental and physical health of vulnerable groups was addressed through the workshops carried out and, in the course of implementation, institutions were linked to people in need of support.
- accessibility of public areas for vulnerable groups is not a standard feature everywhere and is usually difficult due to the natural materials (green areas) - while the safe surface of the playground requires softness and is still difficult to manage with a wheelchair, the connecting path and other areas are paved and equipped in a way that makes it possible for everyone to visit.
- Well-maintained, equipped public spaces in the city: sufficient and dispersed green public spaces in cities should be provided in such a way that all residents have access to at least one good quality green public space within a 5-minute walk. The renovation of the park has ensured this for this neighborhood, which previously had no such area. The equipment chosen is adapted to vulnerable groups (elderly, disabled, and children with special needs).
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images (or other types of visual representations, if images are not possible) to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
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Yes

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Yes

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Yes

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Yes

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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 projects, 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 project, 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