The CommuniCity Consortium gathered in Amsterdam from June 25th to 28th for a series of internal strategic meetings, a training workshop and insightful field visits. These sessions were a crucial step in preparing for the launch of the project’s third and final open call, scheduled for September 10th 2024.
The first day, June 25th was marked by the Consortium’s General Assembly. This meeting featured interactive sessions where the partners discussed the upcoming phases of the project. The next steps to be taken and the planning for the following days were also on the agenda.
June 26th was dedicated to an internal workshop at the AHK Culture Club. During this session, partners got to know many of the new replicator cities and NGOs taking part in the third round of open calls. As part of the call, these cities and organisations were tasked with creating urban and social challenges to be solved by innovative tech solutions. These challenges were carefully examined and discussed by partners, fostering a collaborative environment. The new replicator cities and challenges will be revealed once the call is launched in September.
On June 27th, a hybrid training workshop was held at the Amsterdam City Hall Auditorium with the CommuniCity partners and some of the cities and organisations set to join the third open call. The session began with opening remarks from Amsterdam’s Deputy Mayor Mr. Alexander Scholtes and was followed by a series of interactive presentations between the Consortium , cities and NGOs
Josephine Di Pino from the Coordinator (OASC) and Anne-Mari Sandell from FVH began by providing crucial updates on the CommuniCity project and recapped the third round of Open Calls. Shortly after, Julie Whyte Kelstrup from Aarhus City Lab and Evelin Vlahopoulou from the City of Helsinki shared valuable learnings from the second round.
Anne-Mari Sandell returned to the stage with Silja Peltonen from FVH to present the CommuniCity Manuals and lead an engaging Q&A session. Aida Kalender and Giovanni Sileno from the University of Amsterdam followed with an engaging presentation of their findings on co-creation with marginalised communities. Machteld Combé from Amsterdam and Sara Neves from Domus Social (Porto), facilitated by Danae Pantelide (ENoLL), conducted an interactive session on co-creation methods with the particiapnts. Finally, Adeeb Sidani from Porto Digital explained the CommuniCity tech framework and its Sandbox. The workshop concluded with the introduction of the new replicator cities and their respective challenges.
On the last day, June 28th, participants embarked on field visits to explore various innovative and sustainable sites in Amsterdam. The day began with a tour of the Johan Cruyff Arena, known for its advanced sustainability initiatives and commitment to environmental responsibility. The next stop was De Ceuvel in Amsterdam Noord, a unique sustainable workspace designed for social enterprises and artists, which exemplifies eco-friendly practices and community-driven development.
At the Marrineterrain, particpants were engaged in a session on the Responsible Sensing Lab, where they learned about innovative approaches to urban sensing and data collection aimed at creating smarter and more responsive cities. The day concluded with a visit to the Innovative Pavilion, where new possibilities for a sustainable construction sector are being tested.
This four-day event not only prepared the consortium for the forthcoming open call but also but also strengthened the network of cities and organizations committed to driving forward the CommuniCity vision of collaborative urban innovation to benefit marginalised communities.