URBACT CHANGE! Network trans-national meeting in Dublin January 23rd & 24th 2018.

Representatives from the nine partner cities came together to discuss co-design of public services and increasing citizen engagement with their local services. Cities are coming together to co-produce action plans with local stakeholder groups which aim to transform public services towards a more collaborative people-powered service.

The first day began with an engaging presentation on placing community services at the heart of public services. Societal challenges, open government and the future of public services were discussed, followed by case studies of Good Practices within CHANGE! A practical session followed which allowed participants to choose case studies which help to address an issue in their local situation. In the afternoon an inspiring visit was paid to Airfield Estate in Dundrum – a successful farm, gardens, restaurant and heritage experience run by a social enterprise. 

Day 2 began with a visit to a Martello tower in sunny Sandycove which now functions as a museum dedicated to James Joyce. The Tower is a free attraction open 365 days a year and is staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers from the Friends of Joyce Tower Society. The Tower is a major attraction in the area and received 42,000 visitors in 2017. Following this, the tour proceeded to Shanganagh Park House which is a community Centre owned by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and managed by a voluntary Board of Management. Fascinating presentations on the Estate Management Programme, Age Friendly Strategy, ‘Imagine Dundrum’ community planning, and the Park Run initiative were presented. In the afternoon partners discussed integrated action plans which aim to respond to policy challenges in local circumstances.

It was a highly successful meeting. A big thank you to goes out to David Lawless of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council for hosting this event. For more information please see the CHANGE! URBACT webpage: http://urbact.eu/change