Genoa meets Murcia, an interesting bilateral meeting

These new processes of social innovation require a coming together of at least four variables: making shared decisions, making intensive use of social networks, regenerating common space based on ethnographic and cultural elements that form identity, and the creation of constructive process capacities for active participants.

One of our partners, the Municipality of Murcia, has been engaged in building up territorial knowledge, based on neighborhood regeneration through a co-creative process, from as far back as 2003: the approach of these actions is based on an integrated method (remodeling the physical space, improving the socio-cultural environment, communal living together and the generation of opportunities) and it will be the core of the Integrated Action Plan of Murcia within Interactive Cities project.

One of the main opportunity that Interactive Cities Project offers to its participants is actually the possibility to organize bilateral meeting. The 14 and 15 of March here in Genoa we had the pleasure to meet our partner of the city of Murcia. The delegation was made up of three members Rebeca Pérez López - Concejal Delegada de Juventud y Cooperación al Desarrollo, Carmen Maria Verde Martin - Técnico responsable del observatorio municipal de desarrollo urbano integrado and Mercedes Hernandez - Directora del Servicio de Programas Europeos.

The purpose of the visit was to create a fruitful exchange of competences and experiences,  starting from the presentation of the project of urban renewal in one of the most difficult neighborhood of Murcia – el Barrio de Santa Eulalia: this visit has been part of a more complex strategy, in terms of external promotion of this big project, both at national and at international level. Murcia, within the Interactive Cities Network, has chosen the “Urban Development” thematic group, with the long-term goal to ensure a full involvement of citizens in the decision-making process and to address the input from people to the Local Government in an effective manner, with an innovative communication strategy.

The first day of meeting started with a welcome of the Deputy Major for Culture and Tourism of the Genoa Municipality – Carla Sibilla, the Project Coordinator of the Interactive Cities Program – Cesare Torre and Daniela Patti – Lead Expert of the Project. After the introduction the Murcia presentation began and our partners illustrated us the main lines of their program, introducing the aim of the project: urban renewal using a participatory method, in order to create a deep synergy between local authorities and the civil society.  They told us their method  of work, what they did until today, what they’re going to do in the next months and how they were able to involve citizens in the project. Then there was a moment of exchange of views with the presentation of the Project “Creative District” by Claudio Oliva – Director of the Job Centre of Genoa and Valeria Magliano – Cultural Department of the Municipality, who talked about some European Projects concerning creativity that our Municipality is pursuing in the city with the aim of developing an interesting base of young realities. In fact also in Murcia there are a lot of young realities working in artistic fields (music, art, audiovisual..) and it was very useful to understand how both cities work together with young people.

During the day there was also a guided visit in Quartiere della Maddalena, one the neighborhood of the city in which coexist difficult situations, presented by Simonetta Costa – Strategic Planning Department of the Municipality, who illustrated all the actions that the Municipality of Genoa is carrying out with the help and the involvement of the citizenry.

One of the most important point in this bilateral meeting was the opportunity to have a direct dialogue between partners – Bilateral Meeting are a real moment of exchange, moments of work where it’s given the opportunity to analyze common grounds. It’s a precious possibility that Interactive Cities Project offers to its members, exchanging skills and experiences among partners is an added value of the project. From this visit we’ll bring back a lot of ideas and challenges -  as the Councilor Rebeca Pérez López says.

In the morning of the second day of meeting there was a site visit to “Caserma Gavoglio” which is part of the URBACT Project “2^nd Chance”: another moment of dialogue, in fact both Murcia and Genoa have an experience in the renewal of an old barracks.

This bilateral meeting was another important step for the project’s success.

Municipality of Genoa

Communication officier