The first series of DiverCity4 workshops.

On December 12, the DiverCity 4 Workshop began as part of the DiverCity 4 Initiative – Polish-Norwegian cooperation in creating modern development solutions in cities – strengthening the involvement of residents in the development of the city.

DiverCITY is the international initiative dedicated to urban issues. Its primary objective is to develop a platform for the local self-governments establishing spatial and social policy of their cities in Poland, Norway and Iceland to enable them sharing their experiences in this area. During various events – conferences, workshops, exhibitions and meetings – the attendants can share knowledge, exchange good practices and understand global trends in the area of changes affecting urban space.

During two days of workshops on December 12 and 13, specialists from Poland, Norway and Iceland exchanged experience and knowledge in two thematic areas: Accessibility and Housing. The Thematic Leaders supervised the substantive preparation and workshop session. They were selected from municipal specialists dealing with the architecture of urban spaces, both in terms of accessibility and housing. The experts participating in the workshops represented organization and institution: State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PFRON), EIDD Design for all Europe, Sandnes Municipal Property Company, Oslo Municipality Welfare Department, Icelandic Association of Local Authorities, Mimo Wieku Fundation.

Workshop Experts could also get acquainted in practice with the solutions discussed during the session. Both groups participated in thematic walks related directly to the areas of environment and accessibility. The first workshop was the starting point for subsequent meetings and work on developing solutions aimed at implementing modern development solutions in cities. The April conference will be a summary of the experts’ work.

The initiative is the outcome of Polish – Norwegian cooperation established for many years under the projects financed from EEA and Norway Grants Fund.