Slovenský jazyk

This Methodology has been developed by the Ekopolis Foundation and Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia (PDCS). It was inspired by the approach used by Nadace Partnerstvi in Czech Republic which uses the experience of the US nonprofit organization Project for Public Spaces. Their approach and experience has been adapted to reflect legal regulations and needs of communities in Slovakia.

The duration of the Program cycle is 12 months. The program is implemented as an open competion where community groups are eligible to aply for grant and technical assitance.

1) Establishing local partnerships
Applicants start with establishing the relationships with key stakeholders (local municipality, schools, public administration, business, NGOs, personalities), to secure their support – material, organizational, financial during the planning and implementation phases. At the same time applicants identify an architect, who will be involved in design of the public space based on suggestions of citizens.

2) Preparation of planning
During this phase following steps take place:
- Establishment of the „control team“ responsible for next tasks
- Cooperation with the local school – questionaire for inhabitants on ideas about current and future use of the place, competition of the children‘ ideas, approaching the children‘ parrents. Speading the information about the purpose.
- Partnership building with the public administration and local business.
- Securing additional material and financial support for the project implementation.
- Approaching broad public: through events, local media, posters around the place, canvasing
- Preparation of the First planning meeting – preparation of the program for 1,5 day meeting, securing logistics (time, place, equipment), ensure participation (facilitator, architect, local government), informing public

3) I. Planning meeting
A week-end long meeting led by experienced facilitator, objective is to examine the ideas of involved citizens about future shape of the public place. The facilitator’s task is to enlist broad scale of inputs and ideas and than to narrow the discussion to a mutual agreement about preferred purpose of the place, functions to for which it should serve and objects to be placed there.

4) Evaluation of the outcomes of the planning meeting and architectural design of the place
In this phase the „control team“ gathers inputs from the public to evaluate them and architect process them into concrete arcitectural design. This proposed design will be offered for public discussion on the second public meeting.
For this purpose it is needed to develop a visual model, which can be presented to the public. At this phase it is also needed to work on the construction permission. Part of this phase is also a preparation for the second planning meeting.  

5) II. Planning meeting
This meeting is a conclusion of the previous phase. Its purpose is to comment on the architectural design and its eventual modification to reach the final agreement how it will be implemented. It is a one day meeting again idealy during the weekend, led by experienced facilitator. The site visit of the concerned place is included in the agenda. Usually, special program is organized for children. This planning meeting is a conclusion of the planning phase.

6) Construction of the new public space with the participation of volunteers.
a) Preparation of the construction
- establishment of the working team, with clear division of responsibilities, qualified technical supervisor and health service should not miss;
- securing the material and tools needed for the construction;
- preparation of the terrain and technical components to be ready for use during the joint work days;
- ensuring the activities for children (games, competions, help with simple and safe working assignements);
- division of work into particullar tasks, assigning responsibilities for individual groups;
- securing system for division of work for volunteers and their registration
- securing refreshment and hygiene facilities;
- promotion of the event.

b) Joint construction with volunteers, 1,5 day, during the weekend
It is necessary to carefully plan the joint work so that at the end of the day there visible changes achieved (benches, swings, etc). Concrete results are motivating for the people and convince them that their time was invested in a meaningfull way.

c) Finishing of the work.

After joint constrution there are alwyas unfinished works. The team for construction will finish the realization so that in the settled time plan the public space can start to serve its purpose.

7) Opening event of the new public space
Reconstruction of the new public space is closed at  a joint event. It is an importantpart of the project, which enables citizens to informally celebrate the result of their effort and formally introduce the public space to the community and announce that public space is ready for new use. Together with the organizing team and people who actively participated at the works, other peaopl are invited to the celebration – sponsors, local administration, journalists etc. Part of the program can be for example a small concert, sport competion for children, joint cooking of goulash etc.

8) Closing works
Thanking to all invloved institutions and individuals for work and support. Elaboration of the final reprt and a case study of the planning and implementation.