Steps to regenerate neighborhoods and achieve a better ecological living environment with active citizen participation

The idea of mutual cooperation and co-creation in the partnership of citizens and local municipal authorities is the basis of a modern approach to sustainable urban development. The concept of this cooperation is based on the modern transformation in the urban environment management. This is not just a delegation of tasks, but creation of a synergistic ecosystem, where the energy, creativity and knowledge of the interested civil parties are united with the resources, expertise and coordination role of the local administration.

This symbiosis aims to generate and implement activities and initiatives that directly respond to the real needs of residents in order to improve the environment they inhabit. When citizens stop being passive consumers of services and become co-creators of their neighborhood, the process of improvement and regeneration takes on a completely new quality. Co-creation activities on a park creation, regeneration of an urban neglected site or mutual planning of a public space lead not only to a better visual and aesthetic result, but also to a stronger sense of community, responsibility and belonging.

In this way, the partnership does not simply "repair" the city; it regenerates it socially, transforming the urban environment into a living, dynamic product of collective care and commitment, which in the long term guarantees its sustainability and vitality.

Such a partnership is in practice being implemented successfully through the collaboration between the citizens of the Trakia District, the regional municipal administration of the city of Plovdiv and the Energy Agency of Plovdiv experts.

Hosted by the Trakia District Administration and with the participation of the Agency experts, meetings with interested citizens are regularly held in the context of the GINNGER project campaign #RegeneratingTogether. Within the framework of these meetings, residents of the region are introduced to green implemented initiatives from European cities for neighborhood regeneration and creating a quality living environment. Among them are the installation of photovoltaic panels on public and residential buildings - a sustainable way to reduce energy bills; placing solar benches with autonomous solar power, lighting and slots for charging mobile devices; landscaping of inter-block spaces and school yards; creating vegetable gardens in municipal spaces shared by residents of the region; implementing measures such as limiting vehicle access and reducing speed limits; promoting practices for waste minimization.

Photos: Energy Agency of Plovdiv

In their turn, the citizens get involved with interesting proposals and ideas for improving the inter-block space, afforestation with different types of trees and shrubs in certain park areas, sustainable energy and environmental solutions for the home and the residential neighborhood. The initiative aims to encourage citizens to openly share their ideas, as well as to seek alternatives with the local authorities for their implementation.

Following the above-described communication scheme, the project creates effective inclusive processes for the regeneration of urban neighborhoods and assists to the establishment of a close relationship between the involved interested citizens and the relevant municipal experts.

GINNGER is an initiative that functions to change the way neighborhoods are collaboratively regenerated with a special focus on sustainability, inclusion and active citizen participation. The collaborative process enables stakeholders to identify new actions that are going to be implemented in order to increase synergies between existing neighborhood initiatives. In summary, the approach helps all participants to collaborate as effectively as possible in co-creating more sustainable and inclusive cities.

Source:  Energy Agency of Plovdiv