Expert workshops
The workshops (under 4 thematic groups) organised under DiverCITY4 edition aim at the preparation of four-panel sessions that will contribute to the DiverCITY4 summary conference programme and at the development of publications disseminating these themes.
Workshop themes:
- environment,
- senior policy,
- accessibility,
- housing.
The table below presents a framework description of 4 thematic areas addressed during workshops within the entire cycle i.e. 3 series.
| Environment | 1) Problems:
a. facing the environmental challenges in the urban context. Strategies, actions, assessment methods. 2) Needs: a. seeking the ways and identifying the actions for reducing air pollution in the cities, including energy consumption footprint in the existing building stock; b. discussion on how the local governments and legislation can support households in reducing air pollution; c. sharing knowledge on the local strategies on supporting households in thermal insulation of the existing buildings and replacing ineffective heating sources; monitoring of actions. 3) Solutions: a. implementation of urban programmes supporting the owners of residential apartments/houses in comprehensive renovations of buildings, thermal insulation and replacement of old and ineffective heating sources; b. discussion on different forms of inhabitant support, including financial, to implement the discussed actions; c. strategies and actions in the area of thorough education and information among the citizens. 4) Research issues to be discussed during the cycle of 3 workshop series: a. environmental challenges in the urban context. Strategies, actions, assessment methods. Benefits for both sides: exchange of knowledge and experience, elaboration of new ways of managing complex problem projects with integrated solutions. |
| Senior policy | 1) Problems:
loneliness and feeling of being alone are considered ones of the greatest civilisational challenges faced by the current, ageing societies. The factors affecting the feeling of loneliness of the elderly include these associated with marginalisation and social exclusion of the seniors. By strengthening the feeling of isolation and separation, loneliness has a negative impact on health and mental condition of the seniors and in effect makes adaptation to changing living conditions, both own and social, more difficult. 2) Needs: the need to seek the new solutions in the scope of social activation and participation of the elderly in urban space; consideration of the issue of loneliness, social exclusion, ageism and ghettoisation of the elderly in the process of senior policy development in the cities; searching for answer on how to design urban senior and inter-generation policy. 3) Solutions: implementation of urban campaigns encouraging the elderly to widely understood social activity and participation, promoting the voluntary work concept and education “to”, “in” and “for” the old age, taking the actions for adapting the seniors to dynamic changes, considering their votes in the urban planning processes, searching of solutions based on partnership with the elderly to create the senior-friendly cities. Identification of an increasingly distinct connection between urban development and society ageing should give impetus for a change in old age and the elderly perception. The seniors should have the opportunity to become active citizens involved in co-administration of the city and co-responsible for the quality of their lives after retirement as well as the development of their city and public space. 4) Research and development issues to be discussed during the entire 3 workshop cycle: – seeking an optimal model, ageing–friendly city – what it should be like? New technologies to serve the seniors – innovative solutions in the field of gerontechnology Benefits for both sides: sharing knowledge and experience of Norwegian experts aiming to create integrated as well as social innovative solutions adopted to Polish specifics. |
| Accessibility | 1) Problems :
a. limited access to public space for persons with disabilities. b. old residential buildings as a reason behind “locking” the persons with physical disabilities. c. social, cultural and political exclusion of persons with disabilities and their families. d. limited professional activation of persons with disabilities. 2) Needs: Increasing access to public space by improving urban infrastructure, including residential housing, public transport, workplaces, commercial and cultural facilities. 3) Solutions: a. funds for increasing accessibility of persons with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities and with autism spectrum disorders to urban infrastructure. b. introduction of urban space accessibility standards for persons with disabilities. c. harmonisation of building law, considering the needs of persons with disabilities. d. social campaigns sensitising society to the needs of persons with disabilities – showing such person as professionally and socially active. e. city support to the NGOs helping persons with disabilities. 4) Research issues to be discussed during the entire 3 series workshop cycle:p> a. opening access to rivers for persons with disabilities. b. “prisoners” of higher floors – old residential housing inadequate to the needs of persons with physical disabilities. c. green areas accessible to persons with vision disabilities. d. autistic persons in urban space. Benefits for both sides: providing Norwegian precursory know-how on universal design; sharing knowledge on most innovative and effective cross-sectoral solutions used in Norway and elaborating possibilities of transposing them on the Polish grounds. |
| Housing | 1) Problems:
a. absence of sustainable development of comfortable housing estates with accompanying infrastructure; new housing estates are constructed primarily outside the city downtown, with limited access to public transport and services (including the public); b. block housing estates which are perceived negatively by the society due to at least several reasons: overwhelming concrete and increasing poverty syndrome – anyone who can, moves out from the blocks to a house or newer housing estates. c. both types of housing estates are affected by noise and no sense of community. 2) Needs: a. increasing the feeling of safety and belongingness to the housing estate, b. increasing the space quality, c. boosting the activity of the inhabitants within the housing estate. 3) Solutions: a. finding the ways for the effective operation of housing cooperatives, b. changes to housing estate space development, c. programmes for modernisation and revitalisation of damaged urban tissue, d. better legislation applying to apartments for rent. 4) Research issues to be discussed during the workshop cycle: improving living standards at the housing estates in the cities, which shall be understood as: improving aesthetics of the nearest surroundings, increasing housing estate functionality and improving the accompanying infrastructure, strengthening neighbourhood networks. Benefits for both sides: exchange of knowledge and experience in dealing with difficult housing problems in Poland and Norway. |
1. First workshop session – 12 – 13 December 2019 and mid-January 2020
The first DiverCITY4 session scheduled for 12 – 13 December 2019 in Wroclaw will address only two areas: housing and accessibility. The reason for postponing the remaining two themes i.e. environment protection and senior policy is the inability of the Norwegian and Icelandic experts in these two areas to participate in this-year December workshop.
The proposed date for these two thematic areas will be the second half of January 2020 to provide sufficient time to the experts to prepare for the second round of workshops (turn of February/March for all worship groups).
Assumptions:
Pursuant to the project assumptions, at this stage, the experts will be able to commence works on relevant themes and share the key areas of interests, areas of concern and actions. The outcome of their work after this session should be directions for further work in the groups narrowed to specific and detailed subjects. After this stage, the experts should be aware of the key and most attractive areas for all stakeholders and determine detailed schedule and system of further works on the selected issues and subjects (in this period between the subsequent workshop series) to be presented during the sessions/panels at the Summary Conference.
The fact that all workshop groups will work at the same time next to each other will be an additional incentive to boost cooperating and information exchange. The group members will have the opportunity to familiarise with each other and meet directly. The framework programme will be common for all members, while common meals and direct vicinity of conference rooms will promote contacts between the individual groups and establish a platform for additional synergy between them.
Within the preparatory works, the Thematic Leaders prepared the agendas for the first series of workshop session in 4 thematic areas that were sent to the experts. Similar areas will be delivered in advance before the next 2 meeting series. Joint work of the Leaders and experts may consist in unrestricted specification of the subjective scope of the meeting series by means of email correspondence however it is important to complete it at least in a week before a given session to enable all experts preparation to the session in line with the agreed requirements specified in a closed agenda.
Upon completion of the 1st series (and the 2nd), the Thematic Leader is obliged to prepare a workshop summary and conclusions, identify the tasks for the experts for the 2nd series of meetings and thematic and study directions for the 2nd series of workshops scheduled for the turn of February and March 2020.
2. Second workshop session – turn of February/March 2020
Assumptions:
Pursuant to the project assumption at this stage, the experts, who after the first session involved themselves in works on the themes and issues selected during the first workshop, will be able to present the identified issues of concern and solutions, good practices and ideas. In the course of the two-day session (framework agenda similar to the 1st workshop session of December 2019/January 2020), the individual workshop groups will work-out the assumptions for the individual Summary Conference blocks. The outcomes for this session should be detailed assumptions concerning the issues to be presented and form of presentation. The groups of lecturers to be optionally involved by the experts to the thematic panels should be discussed.
The scope of thematic publications and the identification of target groups should be specified during the 2nd series of workshops.
The members of individual groups leave the workshop with assigned specific tasks and elements of “presentation” to be worked-out and prepared.
All experts should maintain email and phone contacts if needed.
The framework agenda for the second workshop session and specific date thereof will be agreed after the first series of workshop meetings – most probably by the end of January 2020.
3. Third workshop session – 21 September 2020 and summary conference on 22 September 2020
The workshop groups will meet at the eve of the Conference to jointly agree and give a final touch to their presentations and scopes and scenarios of thematic panels dedicated to the 4 specific themes.
The organisation of the thematic group works – tasks of Thematic Leaders and logistics
The workshops are attended by the Polish, Norwegian and Icelandic experts – divided into 4 thematic groups. Each group is managed by the theme Leader.
In addition, the status of participants was also given to the representatives of the Association of Polish Cities (APC). This includes several people from among a 50-persons group of the City Advisors who, in the IH2020 will advise the group of Polish cities applying to the 2nd round of competition under the Local Development Programme on behalf of the APC. The purpose of their participation is to gain additional knowledge in relevant areas of their specialisation in order to transfer new know-how to the representatives of these cities.
The Thematic Leaders are appointed by the project operator (Convention Bureau) and involved in content-related preparation and carrying-out of the individual workshop series in cooperation and with the contribution of the experts.
One of the key tasks of the Thematic Leaders is the coordination of substantive works of the experts throughout the project duration, including between the individual series of workshop meetings. These tasks include among others: preparation of the workshop session agendas duly in advance; general coordination and ensuring smooth course of the workshop meetings, directing the works performed to achieve specific products (conference panels and publications), preparation of a brief resume after each workshop session to the Project Beneficiary (Participation Division of the Wroclaw City Office) with conclusions and delivered items. In addition, maintenance of the on-going email contact with the remaining Thematic Leaders until the date of the conference to ensure consistency of project works is of key significance.
Logistic aspects – dates of arrivals and departures of experts, accommodation, venues of workshop meetings are the responsibility of the Project Operator i.e. Ms Agata Kuczyńska from the Convention Bureau – Wroclaw.
DiverCITY4 accessibility 1st workshop
DiverCITY4 housing 1st workshop
Senior Policy workshop1 minutes
Environment workshops1 minutes
Ageing Policy workshop2 minutes
MINUTES_ENVIRONMENT_2nd workshop