Bahanur
Nasya
Ad-Hoc Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
Bahanur is an architect, researcher and film producer. She has studied in Vienna and Barcelona where she has specialized in sustainable architecture and future proof development concepts. Currently she is involved in a research project focusing on heritage development, as well as centrality concepts for peripheral or rural settlements, paying special attention to the relationship between environmental and social impacts. She has produced films, documentaries and fiction movies. She is the Head of Organisations at Wonderland – platform for european architecture. She is working on the COST actions “Underground 4 Value” (EU funded), with the aim to support communities throughout Europe to valorise their heritage collectively, to serve everyone and not just selected few, as well as Rural NEET Observatory to increase chances for youth and create opportunities to social integration. In “Open Heritage” (H2020 funded) the aim is to extract successful models out of European best practices, while also creating knowledge sharing products (manuals, films, stories, webinars and trainings). She is project manager of “PlaceCity” (JPI Urban Europe funded), where the international consortium develops frameworks revitalize neighbourhoods, in order to create local central hubs for the stakeholders, by using placemaking tools and methods.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
As project coordinator, I am experiencing on an ongoing basis, how international projects help teams to gain experience through exchange, how their approach can evolve to solid strategies. I enjoy leading this proces and gaining from this process.
reaching out:
In order to communicate contents to a broader audience, we write articles and produce videos. The videos are shared through various media channels (online) and screened in public events, as well as festivals and conferences.
I most commonly utilize knowledge reports, journalistic texts (in news style), info graphics or photos and videos as outputs for exchange. I have experimented with different formats and am aware of the relationship between the
utilized format and its suitability for different audience segments.
Policy messages often need to be site-specific and effective in order to address the decision-making levels. Therefore, I like to ensure that attention is given to ensure the right context and language for the results.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
I have been working in international organisations for over 20 years. Working and reporting language remained always English. I have been living and working in numerous countries, with various different cultures and disciplines, and utilizing English as the preferred language of exchange and communication.
We regularly publish in English (articles, reports and write-ups on websites like: wonderland, placemaking europe, Eutropian and Cooperative City, as well as write scenarios for films and documentaries). I also conduct research and hold lectures, workshops and moderate discussions in English. I am accustomed to understanding a variety of local English accents, given that I oversee projects in various European cities, boasting a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds. I have no difficulty in understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, even when delivered at fast native speed.
English at home:
English is also our preferred language of communication at home. My partner is Canadian and we utilize both German as well as English on a daily basis to communicate with and educate our kids.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
I utlise the form of a dialogue on eye-level for transnational exchange and learning activities. Films, comprehensive presentations and graphics support the partners discourse and engagement in the activity. I involve the participants with their quotes and contributions in the whole process (including reporting). My aim is to empower the participants in the activities through visualisation, how to use the content of the activity and engage them in further discourse.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Sustainable Housing
Summary Thematic expertise:
Sustainable Housing is a human right
Housing has a great potential to help us to reach our climate adaptation goals. Yet the island solutions in the field of housing are not effective enough to unfold the whole potential. And has to involve every member of a society. I worked in many fields related to sustainable building, housing and working and see the sustainability as the minimum requirement for any activity. For future our our urban lives, we need to be on top of all new challenges like the pandemics (https://cooperativecity.org/2020/07/13/cooperative-city-in-quarantine-14-planning-post-covid-cities/). As part of the Cooperative City magazine, I have curated a series of webinars and articles on societal challenges across Europe (https://cooperativecity.org/cooperative-city-in-quarantine/). The inclusion of all the actors involved in the daily life is fundamental to enable to development of effective housing policies and strategies, being the goal the promotion of a sustainable housing and life. This is essential in order to tackle great urban challenges such as housing poverty in deprived areas, soil consumption because of housing speculation. Good practices and promising strategies need to reach a wider audience, in order to create a remarkable critical mass and be relevant for our futures.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
My main professional activity is to promote collaborative processes between stakeholders and the public administrations. I have a considerable experience within international projects, thanks to the Cooperative City, Wonderland and Placemaking Europe networks, but also with the Horizon 2020, JPI Urban Europe and Interreg programs of the European Union. With the support of my multi-disciplinary team in Eutropian, we have supported municipalities and civic stakeholders in the development of their local strategies with a variety of means: webinars, videos, interviews, articles, reports, workshops, toolkits, site visits and many more.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
Good monitoring requires adequate indicators and well-defined objectives.
1. In PlaceCity, I helped elaborate strategies and policy recommendations for the regeneration of neighbourhoods, thus linking objectives of sustainable urban regeneration, social inclusion, local economic development and cultural integration. As a result of projects like this, we published as Eutropian policy analysis based on European practices.
2. In the course of Open Heritage, we contributed to the elaboration of very detailed system of indicators, helping the monitoring of the project’s proceedings.
3. In Agora, while establishing cooperation between various cities aiming at strengthening their local agenda, we use local economic monitoring tools to analyse the problems and possibilities in each cities.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
Urban development policies, trends and funds:
Keeping up-to-date with state of the art in planning requires good knowledge of specifically EU policies. Actually being involved in concrete projects with real urban problems, as has been the case in my work, aside from reading the latest research and policy papers, studies and thematic blogs, I make a conscientious effort to keep myself updated about the current issues, debates and experiments in urban planning and policy and to deepen my knowledge of the policy challenges and solutions of the collaborating cities.
I am working in the PlaceCity project (funded by JPI Urban Europe), where we work with local and international institutions and develop policies. We elaborated our findings in the “underconstructions” project as a recommendation for international policymakers (EU level). In Open Heritage (funded by Horizon 2020) we extract successful models out of community developed heritage buildings. The results and suggestions will be available for everyone open source. But also will be presented in Brussels. In Agora (funded by Interreg) we are working with 10 municipalities closely simultaneously to support them in their adventure to apply the urban agenda. I am aware of the EU agenda and policies, as well as the local situations and challenge to implement those. I experienced, that to be successful, with the EU agenda we need a better translation of the international goals on local situations.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
Collaborative Planning Workshops have in the meanwhile a standard methodology, which allows still adapting to local needs and conditions. This was the case of the workshops developed since beginning of 2020 due to world wide pandemic. Suddenly all workshops, dialogues, collaborations had to go online. Whenever there is a need of change, we adopt our work accordingly. But sincere dialogue and active involvement of a wide range of relevant stakeholders from the beginning of processes are the key ingredients for a successful local implementation.
Summary Expertise:
In my work with municipalities (research, planning and transnational policy development) I connect local authorities with stakeholders. One frequent problem in those dialogues is the common language and common imagination. Coming from different backgrounds, having different goals, aims and expectations, needs of all parties have to be addressed in order to be able to trust each other and start collaboration. My goal is to create positive connections between the international, national and local levels. My insights into the work and challenges of various municipalities in Europe support me in identifying the similarities and differences. The knowledge of policies and best practices helps me to support a consortium to guide to their pre-set goals and adapt their practices according to circumstances.