Process innovation for NEB

RELAUNCHTOWIN implements a holistic and interdisciplinary approach for addressing at once urban challenges related to public health, climate change, energy efficiency and social inclusion. Binding all topics in a spatial urban intervention focusing on a local public space in a peripheral large-scale neighbourhood is the outstanding feature of the project. It links the refurbishment of a sports hall with energy efficiency and Net-Zero measures, integrates the renewal of the open spaces with measures mitigating climate change and urban heat island, merges the revitalization of the green spaces with urban production and benefits for public health. What binds all these interventions is the focus on people both as beneficiaries and participants in the process.

The experimentation starts from the preparatory stages of the project and continues through the design, implementation to management and governance of results. It includes participatory, educational, communication and exchange activities forming a comprehensive socio-environmental approach tested on the particular area of intervention. This represents one of the tree pillars of innovation for RELAUNCHTOWIN: social, technological and process innovation.

The process innovation has two dimensions – the management of the multidisciplinarity within the project partnership with the aim of keeping the focus on innovation and the establishment of a long-term relationship with the local community as a way to ensure the vitality and lasting of the project results. The city of Burgas is leading the process, while the partners experienced in participation lead the tasks addressing and involving local people and communities.

Laska Nenova, founder and general manager of BG Be Active Association, the partner actively engaged with participatory events and activation of the new spaces describes some insights of the participatory approach on environmental topics.

What is the role of citizen participation activities in RELAUNCHTOWIN and why is it important for a successful outcome?

For us citizen participation is not an “activity”, but a fundamental principle of work. Everything starts with people, their sense of place, responsibility and belonging. At RELAUNCHTOWIN, we do not want to simply inform the local community, but to work with it through the tools of placemaking. It creates engagement and also builds trust, which is essential for the sustainability of any intervention in public space. Our activities support the work of Burgas municipality, by preparing the ground for future deeper inclusion through temporary, visually impressive and interactive interventions.

How are the themes of social inclusion and the environmental aspects of the project combined?

The activities we carry out merge social inclusion and ecology through campaigns, community outreach events and stakeholder engagement. The focus is on the involvement of the local people through the Placemaking process, the inclusion of vulnerable groups and the sustainable use of the new spaces through co-management and responsibility. Our contribution to the project includes actions where social interaction and ecological awareness are not parallel topics, but intertwined – installations that encourage separate waste collection, physical outdoor activity, informal learning and care for the place. Our approaches when working with different generations and social groups set local identity and care for nature as the main focus.

What elements from your previous experience are you applying and what is new for you?

Our experience includes national initiatives such as _Place Bulgaria, Active Neighborhoods and international projects such as Placemaking for Active Recreation and Parking Day for Fitness in which we have created stable and long-lasting partnerships between citizens, organizations, businesses and institutions. Thus caring for the public environment was redefined as an incentive for civic activity and responsibility – a practice we are transferring to RELAUNCHTOWIN.

What is new for us is working in a more structured, multi-level project framework, as offered by the EUI initiative, as well as close coordination with the architectural and construction process, which is planned to be implemented at a later stage.

Can you describe the leading principles in your work?

Our ACTive approach combines three core pillars that guide every aspect of our work in creating sustainable, active, and vibrant public spaces:

• Spaces as Assets – we focus on viewing spaces as valuable assets. Streets, parks, and squares are where daily life unfolds. That’s why, through strategic interventions, we transform (often) underused shared spaces into catalysts for physical activity and social interaction;

• Connection Points – Every locality has its own unique context, culture, and climate, but the fundamental ways in which people connect with each other and their surroundings are universally human. That’s why, when we design spaces, we ensure they encourage natural and spontaneous connections between people and nature;

• Lasting Change – Change begins with understanding how the built environment and infrastructure already affect people's daily lives. Lasting change begins when communities are empowered to take control of their health and the health of their environment.

How do you plan to encourage the participation of different social groups and address participation fatigue on the part of the local community?

Our approach is based on the philosophy of Placemaking for Active Recreation, which blends physical activity, informal learning and social interaction in open spaces. Aiming at sustainably engaging different groups and considering their responsiveness, we use public space not just as a stage, but as a tool to activate trust and sense of belonging.

For RELAUNCHTOWIN we are developing formats that are short, visual, interactive and physically active. They take the form of outdoor events, demonstrations of recycling solutions, open trainings and art interventions. These activities will be held in-situ, at the site of intervention, so that people can get involved spontaneously, without prior registration or formalization. In case we notice signs of fatigue or skepticism, we will rely on the method of Small but Significant Wins - to clearly show that feedback is heard and leads to real action. It restores trust and creates a positive cycle of participation.

Laska Nenova is a social entrepreneur, founder and general manager of BG Be Active Association. She is a member of the Board of the Placemaking Europe network and is the European representative of the global network PlacemakingX. Since 2014, she has been the European Manager of the NowWeMOVE physical activity initiative, managing year-round grassroots initiatives in over 40 countries.

BG Be Active is a dynamic, action-driven team with diverse expertise, delivering precise solutions with measurable and lasting impact working for the health of the connections between people, communities, and the environment. Its mission is to protect and improve the health of people and the planet and its work aims at promoting physical activity and sustainable lifestyles, empowering local communities and changing the environment. The association is an official partner of the New European Bauhaus initiative.