Temporary use as an asset to reduce exclusion

REFILL partners from Athens, Bremen and Ghent met for a Deep Dive Study Visit in Bremen on on 16-18 May 2017 to discuss how temporary use, and the principles and assets of it, can be transferred to groups other than the "creative  class", namely vulnerable target groups (i.e. refugees, long term unemployed, youths that drop off schools, etc.).

The questions raised were the following:

• How can we diversify the target groups of temporary users and how can we engage unusual suspects / vulnerable groups beyond the so-called cultural creatives?
• How can empty space be a platform in order to bring different groups and activities together in order to work on new models of integration?
• How can target groups, not easy to reach, be aquired in the first place?
• Can TU deliver a real contribution to integration and inclusion? With regard to the groups as well as with regard to the neighbourhood.
• What are possible obstacles and certain characteristics by targeting vulnerable groups? What is different when targeting them in comparision to the experiences well known when targeting the usual suspects? Language, psychic trauma, other cultural imprints,…
• What changes have to be applied to TU, in order to make it work for other target groups?

The findings from the discussions are captured in the report: 

Download Temporary use as an asset to reduce exclusion - DDSV Bremen (9.57 MB)

Deep Dive Study Visits

During the course of the project, the REFILL network identified three cross-cutting themes that were explored further in a study visit involving the partners with vast experience in the theme. Besides the study visit in Bremen, the network held a secon meeting in Nantes on Temporary use as slow urban planning and in Riga on common ownership.