The second handbook of the IMPETUS project is finally available. This document collects good practices on contractual models and utilisation agreements for the temporary use of public spaces and buildings presenting cases from the experience of European regions and cities, analysed through the methodological guide we developed together with ANCI Toscana, the project leader.
With this new publication, which follows the first hanbook on alternatives and approaches to the regulation of temporary uses at regional and urban level, the number of good practices shared by the project rises to 15, all based on the experience of the cities and regions involved: the city of Riga, the Tuscany Region, the Mazowieckie Region, the city of Lille, Bucharest-Ilfov and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Among the experiences, some of which we got to know closely in interesting study visits, we find initiatives such as:
- The gardens of the Riga sports hall, where a former sports centre was transformed into urban gardens and cultural spaces, involving more than 150 residents;
- The regulation on temporary uses in Borgo San Lorenzo, which thanks to the participatory processes ‘Borgo Prossima’ and ‘Spazi ai Giovani’ introduced operational guidelines and a model convention for projects of up to eight years;
- the ‘Housing for Renovation’ programme implemented by the Polish city of Zyrardow, an initiative aimed at providing affordable housing, upgrading the existing housing stock and fostering integration and social cohesion;
- the temporary occupation of the Convent of the Poor Clares in Roubaix, which began in 2019 with a project that reactivated the site through activities and workshops.
- The procedural requirements for the conclusion of contracts for the temporary use of public spaces in Romania;
- The urban gardens of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a project that aims to reuse abandoned areas for recreational, ecological and social purposes, through the renaturalisation of urban space and the creation of green areas and infrastructures to encourage interaction between citizens.
Each case is presented for resources used, evidence of success and potential for learning and transferability. The handbook is aimed at all those who wish to learn more about the potential of temporary uses as a lever for sustainable and inclusive urban development, and in particular cities and regions wishing to improve policies for sustainable development plans by considering temporary uses for abandoned or underused spaces to be regenerated.
