#Public participation

Topic within Citizens & Living
Neeltje Pavicic, Public Tech, Participation, Community Management at Gemeente Amsterdam, posted

Open call: 54 tech-for-good challenges with funding available for over 60 pilots

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CommuniCity's third Open Call is now launched! 🚀

We are pleased to launch the final CommuniCity Open Call round. There will be over 60 pilots running across Europe, focusing on digital inclusion and wellbeing for marginalized communities. 7 challenges are focused on citizens of Amsterdam.

In addition to the partner cities of Helsinki, Porto, and Amsterdam, the Replicator Cities are also presenting their unique challenges. The Replicator Cities are Aarhus, Bruges, Brussels, Cuneo, London, Manchester, Matosinhos, Milazzo, Plock, Prague, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sarajevo, The Hague and Utrecht.

💡 Tech providers: Apply for grants of up to €12,500 to develop tech solutions and run real-life experiments in collaboration with the cities. The deadline for applications is October 31st, 5pm CET.

More information on the Open Call: https://lnkd.in/e-Z5EA5z

Let’s shape the future of our cities together! 💪

#Citizens&Living
Emma Schep, Communicator at Waag, posted

Waag Open: Alledaags activisme

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Dat we met de klimaatcrisis voor een hele grote uitdaging staan, is voor veel mensen geen nieuwe informatie. Maar waar begin je als je hier iets tegen wilt doen? Voor veel mensen voelt het als een probleem dat te groot en lastig is om zelf mee te starten.

In het boek 'Alledaags activisme: van onrust naar daadkracht in het klimaat tijdperk' biedt klimaatfilosoof en activist Chris Julien een perspectief voor precies deze worsteling in onze rol in het grote klimaatvraagstuk. Middels wetenschappelijke, filosofische en persoonlijke inzichten laat hij zien dat we veel meer kunnen dan we denken: juist in het alledaagse zitten tal van mogelijkheden voor systeemverandering. Zo kun je met goede moed vooruit in het klimaattijdperk – of dat nu is op de snelweg, in de vergaderkamer of de sportkantine (of alledrie!).

Tijdens Waag Open zal Julien met een interactieve lezing over het boek en gezamenlijk gesprek ingaan op hoe je alledaags activisme in je eigen leven kunt toepassen.

Programma

19:30 - 19:45 uur opening
19:45 - 21:15 uur lezing door Chris Julien & nagesprek
21:30 - 22:00 uur afsluitende borrel

Waag Open

Elke eerste donderdagavond van de maand opent Waag haar deuren! Kom langs om te discussiëren en te doen. Want we gaan niet alleen in discussie over maatschappelijke thema's en de toekomst – je leert daarnaast ook altijd iets praktisch. Iets dat je altijd al hebt willen uitproberen, zoals de 3D-printer in het FabLab, of juist iets dat je nooit had verwacht, zoals uitpluizen hoe DNA in elkaar zit in ons biotech-lab. Waag Open vindt plaats in de maakplaatsen op de eerste en tweede verdieping van het historische Waaggebouw op de Nieuwmarkt.

Toegankelijkheid

Mocht je krap bij kas zitten en wel graag aan dit evenement willen deelnemen, neem dan contact op met sanna [@] waag [punt] org.

Tickets

Emma Schep's picture Meet-up on Nov 7th
Emma Schep, Communicator at Waag, posted

Waag Open: Dead Zones

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Kunstenaars kunnen als geen ander een nieuw perspectief bieden op abstracte issues. Kunstenaar Suzette Bousema werkte samen met wetenschappers om actuele klimaatproblemen te visualiseren. Tijdens Waag Open op donderdag 3 oktober vertelt ze over Dead Zones: door de mens veroorzaakte zuurstofloze zones in de oceaan. Bousema presenteert ook haar werk Seaweedfilter, waarin zij verkent hoe zeewierboerderijen extra zuurstof kunnen creëren waar dat nodig is.

Daarna ga je zelf aan de slag met een eigen zeewierkunstwerk met de cyanotype techniek. Cyanotype, of blauwdruk, is een fotografische techniek waarbij de prints een blauwe kleur krijgen door belichting. 
Future Relics, Suzette Bousema (Blauwdruk)
Future Relics (cyanotype) door Suzette Bousema

Over de kunstenaar

Suzette Bousema (NL, 1995) visualiseert hedendaagse milieuonderwerpen in samenwerking met wetenschappers. Zij gebruikt haar kunst als middel om mens en wetenschap te verbinden. Planetaire omstandigheden en onze plaats daarin zijn het uitgangspunt in haar werk; de manier waarop de mens ingrijpt in de natuur en hoe we ons op individueel niveau tot de aarde verhouden. Ze werkt interdisciplinair met fotografie, grafiek, glasblazen, weven, geluid, geur en organische materialen zoals zeewier. 
Tussen 19 en 22 september 2024 kun je het werk van Suzette Bousema ook zien in de expositie Behind the Design bij Waag, tijdens GLUE Amsterdam.

Programma

19:30 - 19:40 uur Welkom en introductie
19:40 - 20:40 uur Presentatie door Suzette Bousema
20:40 - 21:30 uur Cyanotype kunstwerken maken
21:30 - 22:00 uur Borrel

Toegankelijkheid

Mocht je krap bij kas zitten en wel graag aan dit evenement willen deelnemen, neem dan contact op met sanna [@] waag [punt] org.

Emma Schep's picture Meet-up on Oct 3rd
Melchior Kanyemesha, Kwartiermaker CIIIC , posted

🔍 CIIIC zoekt een Communicatie & Community Lead!

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Ben jij een ervaren communicatieprofessional met een hart voor de creatieve sector? Samen met het Ministerie van OCW, CLICKNL en vier uitvoeringspartners stelt CIIIC de creatieve industrie en contentmakers in staat om de potentie van immersive experiences te benutten.

Als Communicatie en Community Lead ben je verantwoordelijk voor het (door)ontwikkelen en implementeren van de communicatiestrategie van het CIIIC-programma. Daarnaast heb je een sleutelrol in het opbouwen en onderhouden van een betrokken en actieve community, waaronder IX-makers, kennisinstellingen, bedrijven die IX toepassen en andere relevante partijen.

📑 Lees de volledige vacature hier: https://lnkd.in/eBusnR6p
👋 Interesse? Stuur je motivatie en werkervaring naar info@clicknl.nl voor 16 september 23:59 uur.
🔗 Ken jij de perfecte kandidaat? Deel deze post!

🔍 CIIIC is looking for a Communications & Community Lead!

Are you an experienced communications professional with a love for the creative industry? Together with the Ministry of OCW, CLICKNL and four implementing partners, CIIIC enables the creative industry and content creators to harness the potential of immersive experiences.

As Communication and Community Lead, you are responsible for (further) developing and implementing the communication strategy of the CIIIC programme. You also have a key role in building and maintaining an engaged and active community, including IX makers, knowledge institutions, companies applying IX and other relevant parties.

📑 Read the full vacancy here: https://lnkd.in/eq_fE5WU
👋 Interested? Send your motivation and work experience to info@clicknl.nl before 16 September 23:59.
🔗 Do you know the perfect candidate? Share this post!

Melchior Kanyemesha's picture #DigitalCity
Joana Traver, Founder , posted

Playful Placemaking: Gamification and AI in Urban Design

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How can gamification reshape the way we design cities? 🤔

At Playground City 🛝, we’re excited to be part of <strong>Placemaking Week Europe 2024</strong>, which will take place in Rotterdam from <strong>September 24-27, 2024</strong>! 🎉

In collaboration with Studio Oa and <strong>City Makers</strong>, we’ll be hosting a session titled <strong>“Playful Placemaking: Gamification and AI in Urban Design”</strong>, under the Creating Place & Making It Last theme.

We’ll explore how gamification can improve the participatory process in placemaking, and how AI and digital tools can help us better understand and visualize changes in urban areas, using the Delfshaven area of Rotterdam as our case study 🌱🎮.

We look forward to connecting with you at the workshop, where we’ll explore how interactive, game-like elements and new technology can make urban design more inclusive, informed, and impactful.

Are you attending Placemaking Week? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to see you at our session.
Still need a ticket? Don’t wait—grab yours here: https://lnkd.in/eQQnUJVZ

Let’s create better cities together!

#Placemaking #UrbanDesign #SmartCities #CommunityEngagement #SustainableUrbanism #AIinUrbanPlanning #Gamification #RotterdamMakeItHappen #CreatingBetterCitiesTogether #PlacemakingEurope

Masterclass / workshop on Sep 24th
Dennis Mansell, Product Development at Fonetic, posted

Using AI for All Amsterdammers

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Modern technologies can be used in various ways to make life easier. But if we’re not careful, these possibilities will mainly benefit people who already have it easy. What can technology mean for people who, for one reason or another, have a harder time in society, for example, because they are hard of hearing, have little money, or are immigrants?

The EU project CommuniCity encourages the development of tech solutions for and with various marginalized and/or vulnerable groups. This afternoon, we will present serveral of the pilots that were carried out over the past year, demonstrating how artificial intelligence and other technologies can contribute to the well-being of various residents of Amsterdam.

Dennis Mansell's picture Meet-up on Sep 19th
Zéger Nieuweboer, Founder / Teacher at Learning is growing.nl, posted

YIMBY Harvest Festival

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YIMBY Arnhem! is a bottom-up movement aiming at small scale food growing in the city of Arnhem (NL). The 10 ten years of green YIMBY Arnhem! experience shows the fun and cooperation of urban growing food. The YIMBY experience also shows that in time small initiatives grow to major results in empowering green people in the city.

<strong>Green stewardship</strong> More than 50% of the European population currently lives in urban areas, a proportion that is projected to increase to almost 70% by 2050. Distributed small scale urban food growers can together make a difference in providing healthy food in cities, in a climate neutral and sustainable way. The city of Arnhem has the potential to grow 10% of the vegetables and herbs in 2050,

Zéger Nieuweboer's picture Meet-up on Sep 28th
Joris Moonen, Project Manager , posted

NL Tech Week 10-12 September

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NL Tech Week 2024 – Mis het niet! 

Van 10 t/m 12 september organiseert BTG de tweede editie van de NL Tech Week! Dit is jouw kans om de nieuwste technologische ontwikkelingen te ontdekken, te netwerken met koplopers in de industrie, en te leren van top experts. 

Programma highlights: 
10 sept: Almere (Green Innovation Hub) & Amsterdam (InHolland) 
11 sept: Eindhoven (VDL) & Noordwijk (ESA) 
12 sept: Leiden (Airbus) & Den Haag (Titaan) 

Bezoek inspirerende techbedrijven, neem deel aan interactieve sessies en breid je netwerk uit. Check het volledige programma en meld je aan via NL Tech Week Programma

Building tech for society 

Conference from Sep 10th to Sep 12th
Pelle Menke, Communications and Programme officer Mobility at Amsterdam InChange, posted

De Interdisciplinaire Afstudeerkring - Mobiliteitsrechtvaardigheid. HvA x PNH x ASC

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ENGLISH BELOW

Gedurende de eerste helft van 2024 werkten we samen met vier studenten van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) op het thema Mobiliteitsrechtvaardigheid. Samen met de provincie Noord-Holland waren we als opdrachtgevers onderdeel van een primeur: De eerste interdisciplinaire afstudeerkring van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam. De afstudeerders kwamen vanuit verschillende opleidingen. De groep van vier bestond uit twee Bestuurskunde studenten (Jade Salomons en Timo van Elst), een student Toegepaste Psychologie (Jackie Ippel), en een student Communicatie en Multimedia Design (Merel Thuis).

De HvA wilt haar studenten al vroeg bekend maken met interdisciplinair samenwerken en onderzoeken. Een domein-overstijgend en complex vraagstuk als Mobiliteitsrechtvaardigheid, wat al langere tijd binnen het Amsterdam Smart City netwerk wordt behandeld, bleek een mooi onderwerp voor hun eerste afstudeerkring. Voor zowel de HvA en de opdrachtgevers was er veel nieuw aan dit project en waren er veel onzekerheden, maar vanuit onze waarde ‘leren door te doen’ gingen we samen aan de slag!  
 
Resultaten
Na een kick-off met de leden van de Mobiliteitsrechtvaardigheid werkgroep en verkennende interviews met specialisten van Provincie Noord-Holland vormden de studenten concrete onderzoeksvragen. Na een brede introductie en vraagstelling hebben de studenten een deelonderwerp eigen gemaakt en hun afstudeeropdracht daarop ingericht. Bij deze licht ik kort toe wat de verschillende onderwerpen en resultaten waren. Bij vervolgvragen kunnen jullie mij of Bas Gerbrandy (PNH) een berichtje sturen.

- Timo keek naar het grotere plaatje en bestudeerde hoe het mobiliteitsbeleid in Noord-Holland nu is ingericht, met name met betrekking tot Mobiliteitsarmoede. Ook keek hij hoe participatiemethoden hier nu een rol in had. Hij schreef een advies waarin hij bijvoorbeeld pleit voor het installeren van participatie experts per domein/sector, in plaats van het als een apart team beschouwen.

- Jackie verdiepte zich nog meer in hoe ambtenaren zich verhouden tot de doelgroep die mobiliteitsarmoede kan ervaren. Zij onderzocht de bereidheid van ambtenaren om in gesprek te gaan met de doelgroep. Een belangrijk onderdeel wat velen nog een spannend idee vinden. Ook hielp Jackie mee met Jade’s focusgroep en kwalitatieve onderzoek.

- Jade ging namelijk het veld in. Ze sprak ouderen in Purmerend over hun reiservaringen en wat voor belemmeringen ze ervaren. Haar onderzoek bewees hoe belangrijk dit onderdeel is. Ze lichtten bijvoorbeeld uit dat ouderenvervoer goed geregeld is, maar dat ze angstig kunnen zijn tijdens hun reisbewegingen. Slechte kwaliteit van voetpaden en het snelle optrekken van een bus is waar ze het veel over wilden hebben.

- Ten slotte ging Merel aan de slag met een multidevice ontwerp. Ze creëerde een tool waarmee belevingen van inwoners op persoonlijk niveau uitgevraagd kunnen worden. Vervolgens wordt hierin inzichtelijk en tastbaar gemaakt wat beleidsrisico’s en -kansen zijn voor de sector Mobiliteit van de provincie. Het dient zo als gesprekstool en brug tussen de persoonlijke ervaringen van inwoners en de abstractere en strategische niveau van de beleidsmedewerkers.   
 
Interdisciplinair en organisatie-overstijgend samenwerken
Het is een intensieve periode geweest waarin we het de studenten, en hun afstudeerbegeleiders, niet altijd makkelijk hebben gemaakt. Het project stelde namelijk bloot hoe de afstudeertrajecten en -eisen verschillen per studie en faculteit binnen de HvA. De studenten en docenten gingen hier uiteindelijk soepel mee om, maar dit was zeker wennen voor ze tijdens de start van de afstudeerkring. Ook voor de opdrachtgevers en begeleiders was het een leerproces waarin we samen in een iteratief proces onze werkwijze en opdrachten moesten aanpassen.

Bij veel van de vraagstukken die langskomen in het Amsterdam Smart City netwerk gaat het over het belang van domein overstijgend werken en hoe veel moeite grote (overheids)organisaties hier mee hebben. Juist daarom kijken we tevreden en trots terug op dit proces. Op deze manier hebben we de studenten voor de start van hun carrière al laten kennismaken met het samenwerken op maatschappelijke vraagstukken, met anderen, die vanuit hun eigen expertise, achtergrond en creativiteit naar problemen en oplossingen kijken.   
 
Hogeschool van Amsterdam is op zoek naar een nieuw vraagstuk!
Ook komend jaar (start 2025) gaan we weer met veel enthousiasme aan de slag met een vraagstuk voor een nieuwe lichting afstudeerders. Om het onderwerp verder te brengen en om samen nog meer te leren over interdisciplinair samenwerken aan maatschappelijke vraagstukken. Samen met de HvA zijn we daarom op zoek naar een nieuw maatschappelijk vraagstuk voor de volgende groep afstudeerders. We zijn op zoek naar een onderwerp, maar ook een organisatie die, in combinatie met een ASC collega, als mede-opdrachtgever en begeleider zal optreden. Dit kan uiteraard in samenwerking met andere ASC partners.

Het onderwerp zal eind september bekend moeten zijn. In de weken die daarop volgen, zal de (groeps)opdracht gefinetuned worden en start de werving van geschikte studenten die in 2025 afstuderen.

Voor meer informatie kun je contact opnemen met Marije Poel (m.h.poel@hva.nl), Nora Rodenburg (n.m.rodenburg@hva.nl) of mij (pelle@amsterdamsmartcity.com)  
 
________________________________________

ENGLISH:
 
During the first half of 2024, we collaborated with four students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) on the theme of Mobility Justice. Together with the Province of North Holland, we had the privilege of being part of a pioneering project: the first interdisciplinary graduation circle at the HvA. The graduates came from different programmes, and the group of four included two Public Administration students (Jade Salomons and Timo van Elst), a student Applied Psychology (Jackie Ippel), and a Communication and Multimedia Design student (Merel Thuis).

The HvA aims to familiarise its students early on with interdisciplinary collaboration and research. A complex, cross-domain issue like Mobility Justice, which has been a topic of focus within the Amsterdam Smart City network for some time (LINK), proved to be an excellent subject for their first graduation circle. For both the HvA and the commissioners of the topic, this project was new and presented many uncertainties, but driven by our value of ‘learning by doing,’ we embarked on this journey together!

Results
Following a kick-off with members of the Mobility Justice working group and exploratory interviews with specialists from the Province of North Holland, the students began to formulate concrete research questions. After a broad introduction and question formulation, each student chose a specific sub-topic to focus on for their graduation project. Below, I briefly outline the different topics and results. For further questions, feel free to contact me or Bas Gerbrandy (PNH, bas.gerbrandy@noord-holland.nl).

- Timo looked at the bigger picture, studying how mobility policy is currently structured in North Holland, particularly concerning Mobility Poverty. He also examined the role of participation methods in this context. In his advisory report, he advocates, for example, the installation of participation experts per domain/sector, rather than considering it as a separate team.

- Jackie delved deeper into how civil servants relate to the target group that may experience mobility poverty. She investigated the willingness of civil servants to engage in dialogue with this group, an essential aspect that many still find daunting. Jackie also assisted with Jade's focus group and qualitative research.

- Jade took to the field, speaking with the elderly in Purmerend about their travel experiences and the barriers they face. Her research highlighted the importance of this issue. For instance, she found that while transport services for the elderly are well-organised, they often feel anxious during their journeys. Poor pavement conditions and the sudden acceleration of buses were frequent topics of concern.

- Finally, Merel worked on a multi-device design. She created a tool that can be used to gather personal experiences from residents. This tool then makes the policy risks and opportunities for the Mobility sector in the province more visible and tangible. It serves as a discussion tool and a bridge between the personal experiences of residents and the more abstract, strategic level of policy officers.

Interdisciplinary and Cross-Organisational Collaboration
It has been an intensive period in which we didn’t always make it easy for the students and their graduation supervisors. The project revealed how graduation trajectories and requirements vary across programmes and faculties within the HvA. The students and lecturers eventually handled this smoothly, but it was certainly an adjustment for them at the start of the graduation circle. It was also a learning process for the supervisors, where we had to iteratively adapt our working methods and assignments together.

Many of the issues that arise in the Amsterdam Smart City network relate to the importance of cross-domain collaboration and the difficulties that large (government) organisations often face with this. That’s why we look back on this process with satisfaction and pride. We have introduced the students to the practice of working on social issues, with others who bring their own expertise, background, and creativity to the table, before the start of their careers.

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is Looking for a New Topic!
Next year (start of 2025), we will again enthusiastically tackle a new topic with a fresh group of graduates, to further advance the subject and learn even more about interdisciplinary collaboration on social issues. Together with the HvA, we are therefore looking for a new social issue for the next group of graduates. We are searching for a topic, as well as an organisation that, in combination with an ASC colleague, will act as a co-client and supervisor. This can, of course, be in collaboration with other ASC partners.

The topic should be finalised by the end of September. In the weeks after, the (group) assignment will be fine-tuned, and the recruitment of suitable students graduating in 2025 will begin.

For more information, you can contact Marije Poel (m.h.poel@hva.nl), Nora Rodenburg (n.m.rodenburg@hva.nl), or me (pelle@amsterdamsmartcity.com).

Pelle Menke's picture #Mobility
Iskander Smit, Futures researcher, curator, strategizer at Cities of Things, posted

ThingsCon Salon on Participatory Design for ML

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On 5 September, ThingsCon will team up again with the Human Values for Smarter Cities project to organize a Salon linked to the research project. This time, we are guests at Marineterrein in Amsterdam. We focus this meetup (and workshop) on participatory design for machine learning.

Don Quichot in the Smart City?
In this ThingsCon Salon, we will explore the changing roles of designers in contemporary developments involving human values and smart city technologies. As Kristina Höök and Jonas Löwgren suggest, when faced with a complex sociotechnical fabric that includes AI, designers should consider their work as “interventions into ongoing transformations over which they have limited control” (Höök & Löwgren, 2021). What implications do this statement and our experiences in state-of-the-art participatory design projects have for our work?

Workshop 16:00-18:00
We will start with a workshop in which we redesign an existing enforcement computer vision system with AI, not by focusing on efficiency or effectiveness. Instead, we focus on AI that helps improve citizens’ opportunities to prevent making mistakes or making appeals.

Mapping Use-time Contestability Loops
The workshop runs from 16:00 to 18:00 and will be dedicated to a workshop shaped and moderated by Kars Alfrink, a postdoctoral researcher at TU Delft, specializing in contestable AI. The workshop has limited capacity.

Meetup 19:00-21:30
After a break for drinks and food, we will continue with the evening program from 19:00 to 21:00. Three speakers will discuss the workshop results and share their thoughts on the topic.

  • Evelien Zengerink from the City of Amsterdam Computer Vision team
  • Vera van der Burg, PhD at Delft University of Technology in exploring AI as tools for self-reflection
  • Geke van Dijk, strategy director at STBY, a pioneering service design studio

The ThingsCon Salon will take place on 5 September 2024 from 16:00 to 21:30 in Amsterdam Marineterrein. We are guest at AMS Institute / Responsible Sensing Lab.
(Kattenburgerstraat 5, Building 027W, 1018 JA Amsterdam)

Please RSVP via these Meetup-pages:
workshop (+ meetup) (limited capacity 20 participants)
meetup only

Iskander Smit's picture Meet-up on Sep 5th
Yasmin V, Online Marketeer , posted

Society 5.0 Festival

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How can we shape the society we want amidst rapid technological advancements? At the Society 5.0 Festival, we believe this demands a radical new way of thinking: a shift from transactions to relations. As creatives, researchers, citizens, technologists, teachers, designers, students, and policymakers, we must actively shape the fabric of our future society. Join us as we listen, nurture, and repair the ties that bind us.

Conference from Oct 9th to Oct 10th
Pelle Menke, Communications and Programme officer Mobility at Amsterdam InChange, posted

Demoday #24: Exploring the public transport of the future with Amsterdam’s Mobility Radar (2024)

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Yuki Tol and Joaquim Moody, trend watchers for Smart Mobility at the Innovation Department of the Municipality of Amsterdam, delivered the Mobility Radar on future public Transport.Twee 'moonshots' geven je een,van zo'n 11 jaar) this March. In this first edition, the Amsterdam Smart Mobility program delves deeper into the city's mobility challenges. Will staff and funding shortages, the energy transition, and a growing demand for (accessible) transport options continue to impact the city's future public Transport system? Two 'moonshots' give us a glimpse into the future, showing what public Transport might look like in 2050.

The new concession for public Transport in Amsterdam is nearly ready and will commence in 2025 for a period of approximately 11 years. This is a good time to engage in discussions about the steps that need to be taken to achieve the goals and ambitions set for 2050. It is also crucial to determine what measures are necessary to address the developments that public Transport will face in the future. If the current system is continued, we are only one or two concessions away from 2050. Therefore, now is the time to start working on developments, innovations, and concepts that we want to include in the concessions for the 2030s and 2040s.

Exploring the future together
The Radar team has developed a workshop to engage with various organizations, experts, residents, and enthusiasts to discuss the Mobility Radar. In this workshop, participants jointly explore the trends and developments that can influence the future of mobility. It is a great way for participants to practice this way of thinking, and such a session also brings up topics and discussion points that the Municipality of Amsterdam can incorporate into its future explorations and concessions.
During our 24th Knowledge and Demo Day, Joaquim Moody hosted a work session for a diverse group of participants various organizations and domains. In three groups, we analysed an emerging public Transport challenge using the Mobility Radar approach and creatively thought about solutions. In the following paragraphs, I summarize what we discussed with the group.

Method
The starting point is a number of current challenges in public Transport: staff shortages, funding shortages, accessibility, the energy transition, and the growing demand for public Transport.

Each group selects one of the challenges and then 'dissects' it. Using a worksheet, you look at the following topics: What basic need underlies this challenge? What are examples of how or where you see this challenge currently? What macro changes play a role in the emergence of this challenge – in the long and short term? And how do these macro changes affect which basic needs are important and how they are fulfilled?

Next, you start creating a solution for this challenge and trend. Examples of solutions are: a service, a product, a regulatory adjustment, or an informative campaign. You also need to consider how you would deploy it and who exactly the target audience is.

Results

Accessibility
One of the groups analysed the challenge of public transport accessibility. This needs to be adequate for everyone, now and in the future. Accessibility involves affordability, the digital skills required, travel costs, and physical accessibility. This challenge mainly revolves around the basic needs of connectedness, independence, and control. The macro changes playing a role are migration (increasing number of people to be transported) and aging (more people wanting to travel independently but requiring extra assistance – particularly in digital and physical aspects). Therefore, more space and special assistance will be needed for a growing group of travellers.
The group proposed focusing more on 'micro public transport' and 'on-demand public transport' and making bus and train compartments more flexible. This would make people less dependent on a rigid system and travel environment. The group argued that air travel can serve as an example, where you can specify exactly where you want to sit, whether you need extra space, and if you require extra assistance. These needs deserve more attention in public transport as well. This can be tested with prototypes in train cars and buses and is intended for the target groups: the elderly, people with disabilities, and parents with young children.

Staff Shortages in Public transport
The challenge of 'staff shortages in public transport' is reflected in developments such as cancelled schedules, high work pressure, high absenteeism, strikes, and less social control in public transport (due to less staff). The basic needs affected by this challenge are the need for social status, financial security (for the driver), and a pleasant, healthy workplace. Macro changes playing a role include the large number of job opportunities in other sectors, increasing aggression and hardening in society, worsening public perception of public transport, and aging. As a result, working in public transport has become less prestigious, less safe, relatively less well-paid, and there is little influx of new, young employees.
The group proposed a campaign to improve the image of working in public transport. Currently, too few people choose this profession. However, with campaigns similar to those by the Defense Department, it could be made trendy and attractive again. Influencers or famous Dutch people could also play a role in this. The target audience to be enthused includes young starters and people considering a career switch.

The Growing Demand for public transport
Finally, the third group presented their worksheet regarding the challenge of the growing demand for public transport (and the decline in public transport investments). This is reflected in the decline in service quality, travel options, and the fact that less equipment is available. This affects the basic needs of comfort, connection, and being able to be oneself). Macro changes exacerbating these challenges include the decreasing space for mobility, individualization as a societal development, and increasing travel costs. This leads to a kind of public transport anxiety, aversion, and aggression, which is already happening and is only getting worse, the group noted.

The group proposed recognizing the societal role of public transport more, which would lead to more respect and funding. We should also further 'de-peak' travel times by better aligning telecommuting days or departure times for employees. This can be tested with pilots in specific (travel) areas or with large employers. The target audience can be seen as all travellers together.

Follow-Up
Joaquim will use the presented analyses and solutions as inspiration for further research and use the feedback on the method and workshop to improve such sessions in the future. Enthusiastic participants also wanted to use this method for sessions with students and international delegations, illustrating its success!
During the upcoming Knowledge- and Demo Day, we will have another session on mobility with a similar approach, but this time we will work with the scenario studies made by the Province of North Holland. Thinking about the future using trends, scenarios, and moonshots is essential in every domain, especially when done with a diverse group and maintaining connection.

Pelle Menke's picture #Mobility
Jill Vink, Communication at Amsterdam InChange, posted

Demoday #24: Knowledge session ‘Social Innovation’

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Creating social value for all is one of Amsterdam Smart City's core values. That's why we invited Dave van Loon and Marieke Doorninck from our partner Kennisland to lead a knowledge session on social innovation. In their words, social innovation can help us approach processes differently, encouraging people to think in new ways.

What is Social Innovation?

“Those who are closest to the issue know the most about it,” said Marieke. Therefore, Kennisland designs solutions for complex societal issues together with those involved. According to Kennisland, social innovation is about creating better outcomes for people, contributing to an inclusive and sustainable society. It involves the development and implementation of new strategies, concepts, ideas, and organizations that provide solutions for major societal challenges. Collaboration is essential in this process; it is not about individual actions but about collective efforts within a specific context. “Social innovation is not so much about finding the best solution,” emphasized Dave, “but about the process where the right people come together and collectively decide what the best solution is.” This also implies a shift in power: giving the lead role to others instead of those who have always had it.

Key Principles of Social Innovation Include:

  • Creating social value (not just economic)
  • Considering different perspectives and values
  • Making policies and solutions through action
  • Mobilizing involved citizens to build a socially sustainable future

Social innovation provides answers to complex social problems that cannot be solved by the government and business sector alone. The concept refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas, and organizations that provide solutions for major societal challenges. Additionally, it’s about creating a positive cycle of learning and improvement, involving all relevant actors in the issue.

Social Innovation In Practice

How does social innovation work in practice? Dave provided a successful example from Kennisland: ‘Amsterdam zoekt Schoolmakers' (Amsterdam is looking for Schoolmakers). This was a crowdsourcing campaign and incubator for new school initiatives. In this project, every Amsterdammer had the opportunity to submit a plan for a new school to accommodate the expected growth in student numbers. The challenge eventually resulted in over 124 initiatives for new schools and served as the starting point for a broader dialogue about education in the city. “This is a good example of social innovation because radical innovators and system representatives could learn from each other,” said Dave. A very interesting project that stimulates bottom-up innovation and shows what is possible.

During the session, other successful examples of social innovation were shared by the audience. One of these examples was the wellbeing dashboard, developed by students from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam in collaboration with residents of the ‘G-buurt’ in Amsterdam Zuidoost. This dashboard monitors the residents' wellbeing and actively involves them in co-creation sessions.

Social Innovation and Amsterdam Smart City

Collaboration is essential in addressing complex issues within the Amsterdam Smart City network. A good example of this is grid congestion. The problem is so complex that collaboration between grid operators, governments, energy suppliers, businesses, and citizens is necessary.

According to Marieke, it’s essential for people to truly feel the urgency of the problems. This sense of necessity motivates them to embrace social innovation and come to solutions together. She concluded the session by emphasizing that the great challenges of our time can only be addressed through collective efforts.

Do you want to learn more about social innovation or get in contact with Kennisland? Leave a comment below and we’ll connect you with Dave and Marieke!

Jill Vink's picture #Citizens&Living
Amsterdam Economic Board, posted

Building local mini-economy within planetary boundaries

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Scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse versie

Growth is an end in itself, dictates the current economic model. For only growth would keep our economy going and be indispensable to further sustainability. At the same time, our planet is being depleted by this drive for green growth.

Is it time to abandon economic growth as a social ideal? And then what are workable, more social alternatives?
More and more business owners are opting for sustainable operations. They settle for less financial gain to do valuable work with positive social and environmental impact. The rise of the commons movement, housing-, energy- and food cooperatives, as well as social initiatives in health and welfare, show that people want to stand together for values other than financial gain.

Achievable and real alternatives

New economic models offer different perspectives for considering the economy as part of a society. They offer tools to make that economy more equitable and sustainable. Yet the new economic thinking is still often dismissed as unrealistic and unachievable. Only by trying out these theories in practice can we demonstrate that these are real alternatives.

New economic thinking, New economic acting

To experiment with new economic theory and models in practice, the Amsterdam Economic Board has started the New Economic Models exploration. In April, we introduced the living lab project “New Economic Thinking, New Economic Acting” at the Marineterrein in Amsterdam. In this we work on socio-economic experiments, together with AMS Institute, AHK Culture Club, And The People, Bureau Marineterrein, Kennisland, The Next Speaker and the knowledge coalition ‘Art, Tech & Science’.

The Marineterrein is the ideal place to do this because it is an official experiment site. Moreover, companies located here are often already working on circular and social projects. Cultural institutions and organisations at the Marineterrein, in turn, can represent what thriving without economic growth could look like and fuel our desire for a new economy.

Read the full Article

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Bouwen aan lokale mini-economie binnen planetaire grenzen

Groei is een doel op zich, dicteert het huidige economische model. Want alleen groei zou onze economie draaiende houden en onmisbaar zijn om verder te verduurzamen. Tegelijkertijd raakt onze planeet uitgeput door die drang naar groene groei.

Wordt het tijd om economische groei als maatschappelijk ideaal los te laten? En wat zijn dan werkbare, socialere alternatieven?
Steeds meer ondernemers kiezen voor een duurzame bedrijfsvoering. Zij nemen genoegen met minder financiële winst om waardevol werk te kunnen doen, met positieve sociale en ecologische impact. De opkomst van de commons-beweging, woon-, energie- en voedselcoöperaties en maatschappelijke initiatieven in zorg en welzijn, laten zien dat mensen zich samen sterk willen maken voor andere waarden dan financieel gewin.

Haalbare en reële alternatieven

Nieuwe economische modellen bieden andere perspectieven om de economie als onderdeel van een samenleving te beschouwen. Ze bieden handvatten om die economie rechtvaardiger en duurzamer in te richten. Toch wordt het nieuwe economisch denken nog vaak weggezet als onrealistisch en niet haalbaar. Alleen door deze theorieën in de praktijk uit te proberen kunnen we aantonen dat dit reële alternatieven zijn.

Nieuw economisch denken, Nieuw economisch doen

Om te kunnen experimenteren met nieuwe economische theorie en modellen in de praktijk, verkent Amsterdam Economic Board deze in de verkenning Nieuwe economische modellen. In april introduceerden we het proeftuinproject ‘Nieuw economisch denken, Nieuw economisch doen’ op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam. Hierin werken we aan sociaaleconomische experimenten, samen met AMS Institute, AHK Culture Club, And The People, Bureau Marineterrein, Kennisland, The Next Speaker en de kenniscoalitie ‘Art, Tech & Science’.

Het Marineterrein is de ideale plek om dit te doen, omdat het een officieel ‘experimentterrein’ is. Bovendien zijn de hier gevestigde bedrijven vaak al bezig met circulaire en sociale projecten. Culturele instellingen en organisaties op het Marineterrein kunnen op hun beurt verbeelden hoe bloei zonder economische groei er uit kan zien en ons verlangen aanwakkeren naar een nieuwe economie.

Lees het volledige artikel

Amsterdam Economic Board's picture #CircularCity
Dave van Loon, Onderzoeker / adviseur stedelijke vraagstukken at Kennisland, posted

Kennisland-podcast #1: geen vernieuwing zonder ongemak

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Geen vernieuwing zonder ongemak. Maar durven vernieuwers het ongemak zelf in de bek te kijken? En wat kunnen we daarvan leren? In deze podcastserie ter ere van 25 jaar Kennisland gaan we in gesprek met sociale vernieuwers over scheve machtsverhoudingen, schijnparticipatie, gebrek aan diversiteit, preken voor eigen parochie, haperende verdienmodellen, de paradox van vernieuwing en andere olifanten in de kamer waar wíj het juist wel graag over willen hebben. In deze eerste aflevering gaat Marieke van Doorninck in gesprek met Tofik Dibi.

Eerste gast: Tofik Dibi

Tofik is een Marokkaans-Nederlandse oud-politicus, schrijver, activist en sinds 2018 bestuursadviseur van het stadsdeel Nieuw-West in Amsterdam. Hij richt zich onder andere op het vergroten van kansen van jongeren in grote steden. Tofik staat bekend om zijn gedrevenheid en is niet bang om de knuppel in het hoenderhok te gooien. Regelmatig zorgt hij met scherpe tweets voor reuring op X. Hij is bovendien lid van onze Raad van Advies. Marieke van Doorninck, directeur van Kennisland, gaat met hem in gesprek over ongemak en vernieuwing.  

> “De realiteit vraagt soms om een bittere toon.”

Ongemak inzetten en toch verbinden

Ze praten over hoe je ongemak kunt inzetten om de status quo te bevragen en de gevestigde orde uit te dagen. Belangrijk daarbij is om tegelijkertijd comfort te bieden. Ongemak werkt het beste in een veilige setting. Hoe kun je de confrontatie aangaan zonder de ander te verliezen?

Luister de podcast (28 minuten) via onderstaande link.

Dave van Loon's picture #Citizens&Living
Yan Zhou, Cultural Heritage at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), posted

SHARE YOUR STORY AND MAKE AN IMPACT! Participants involving for documenting and mapping Chinese diasporic heritage in the Netherlands

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Almost in every metropolitan city in the world exists a Chinatown where Chinese diasporic communities live and conduct commercial activities. In recent years, many countries have started listing and conserving Chinese diasporic heritage as their dynamic cultural resources that represent human migration histories and cultural diversity.

Chinese diasporic communities came to the Netherlands in the early 20th century. The Chinatown in Amsterdam is one of the main Chinatowns in the Netherlands, and is well-known in Europe. However, very few studies in the field of heritage management reveal and discuss the cultural significance (heritage attributes, values from various stakeholders) and management models.

We are researchers from the UNESCO chair in Heritage and Values, TU Delft. We are now looking for participants for a research project on Chinese diasporic heritage in the Netherlands, also called “共同保育我們的唐人街遺產” in Chinese. If you:
- come from a Chinese family with a migration background
- (used to) live in/work in/have emotional connections to Chinatown areas
- would like to share your stories/interests about Chinese diasporic heritage in the Dutch Context
......
Join us for this initiative for understanding, documenting and mapping the place where we all belong! You will be able to tell your own heritage, histories and stories, and encounter dynamic groups of heritage enthusiasts. Your participation will help us understand further the vibrant cultural legacy, which is valuable for keeping and telling future generations.

Feel free to fill in or share this participant form. We contact you and organize further activities (e.g. interview, focus group meeting, workshop, etc.) in the future.

For more information, you can also reach us through:
- Email: yan.zhou@tudelft.nl
- Tel: +31(0)647824405
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yan-zhou-45a79b290
_____________________________________________________________
Yan ZHOU (PhD researcher)
Dr. Ana PEREIRA RODERS (Professor)
Dr. Lidwine SPOORMANS (researcher & lecturer)
TU Delft – UNESCO Chair in Heritage and Values
Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment 

Yan Zhou's picture #Citizens&Living
Beatrice Egidi, Building Architect , posted

Looking for Architectural Design/Urban Design jobs in Amsterdam!

Dear all,

my name is Beatrice Egidi and I am a recently graduated architect from Italy. I had the opportunity of visiting Amsterdam a good number of times in the last two years and I am starting to hope to move there! I even started to learn a bit of Dutch... Moedig, toch?

If anyone has good advices on how to enter the job market here, they would be really appreciated!
Please have a look to my CV at the following link:
Egidi Beatrice CV_2024.pdf

Kind regards and thank you in advace to anyone who may help! Ciao!

Beatrice Egidi's picture #Citizens&Living
Laetitia Stuijt, Project employee at Amsterdam Economic Board, posted

Powerlunchlezing: Missie first ondernemen? Wordt steward owned!

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Meld je aan voor de powerlunchlezing op 10 juni van 11.30 tot 12.30 uur 
 
Ben je op zoek naar een eerlijk een duurzaam bedrijfsmodel voor je onderneming? Vind je dat onze economie toe is aan nieuw eigenaarschap? Heb je altijd al willen weten wat ‘steward ownership’ nou precies is en wat het kan betekenen voor jouw bedrijf? Of misschien wil je er direct mee aan de slag? 
 
Op 10 juni organiseren we van 11.30 tot 12.30 uur een power lunchessie rondom 
‘steward ownership’. 
 
Programma 

  • Steward-owned 'guru' Melanie Rieback van Post-growth Entrepreneurship neemt ons kort mee in het wat en waarom van steward ownership. Hoe draagt het bij aan een betere wereld en de missie van jouw bedrijf? 
  • Daarna neemt We Are Stewards ons via de ‘How To(ols)’ mee in de praktische stappen om Steward Owned te worden.

  

 
Zien we je op 10 juni? Aanmelden doe je door op deze mail reply’en of te mailen naar l.stuijt@amecboard.com. Let's get steward owned! 
 
Nieuw economisch denken. Nieuw economisch doen.  
Deze power lunchsessie is onderdeel van het project 'Nieuw economisch denken, nieuw economisch doen' op het Marineterrein. Samen met gebruikers, omwonenden, beleidsmakers en nieuwe-economie-denkers geven we vorm aan een nieuwe economie die handelt binnen de grenzen van de planeet en zijn we op weg naar het Marinterrein als ecologisch stadsparadijs. 
 
Wat: Power Lunchsessie ‘steward ownership’ 
Waarom: Samen ontdekken van duurzame bedrijfs- en eigendomsmodellen 
Waar:  AHK Culture Club op het Marineterrein - Gebouw 27K 
Wanneer: 10 juni van 11.30 tot 12:30 uur 
Wie: alle ondernemers op het Marineterrein: van start- en scaleup tot large corporate😉  

Meet-up on Jun 10th
Gijs Boerwinkel, Head of communications at Waag, posted

Waag Open: Blijf je AR-bril de baas

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Ontwerp je eigen voorwaarden voor Augmented Reality tijdens deze workshop door AR-kunstenaar Sander Veenhof.

Nog niet zo lang geleden hoorden brillen met Virtual of Augmented Reality-technologie enkel thuis in sciencefictionfilms. Brillen die je iets extra’s laten zien wanneer je naar de wereld kijkt, of die zelfs een compleet andere wereld tonen. Sinds de lancering van de Quest3 en de Apple Vision Pro is deze technologie realiteit geworden en lopen onze fysieke en virtuele wereld steeds meer in elkaar over. Hoe kunnen we onze eigen voorwaarden creëren voor Augmented Reality (AR)?

Een AR-bril bepaalt letterlijk hoe jij als gebruiker naar de wereld kijkt. In de bril zit een camera die voortdurend registreert wat er zich in onze omgeving afspeelt. Dit zijn geen video-opnames, maar beelden die middels kunstmatige intelligentie worden geïnterpreteerd. Op basis van deze data, samen met jouw persoonlijk profiel en agenda-data uit de cloud worden vervolgens meldingen, notificaties, suggesties en taken aan je getoond. Maar hoe wordt bepaald wat wanneer relevant is?

Deze inschatting kunnen we beter niet aan kunstmatige intelligentie overlaten. In deze interactieve workshop, gegeven door AR-kunstenaar Sander Veenhof, ontwerp je zelf de voorwaarden voor verschillende scenario’s waarin een AR-bril wordt gebruikt. Aan de hand van een reeks concrete praktijksituaties ontrafelen we wanneer een AR-bril mag ingrijpen of initiatief mag tonen. ‘Als < X > mits < Y > behalve < Z > tenzij < W > of < U >’.

Kom naar Waag Open op donderdag 6 juni en verwerk jouw voorkeuren, eisen, wensen en uitzonderingen in een bestand met configuratie-instellingen over jezelf. Als het tijdperk van de 24/7 AR-brillen ooit écht aanbreekt, weet jij vast waar je jouw bril op moet wijzen!

Programma

19:15 uur Deur open
19:30 - 19:40 uur Welkom & introductie door Waag
19:45 - 20:30 uur Lezing door Sander Veenhof
20:30 - 21:30 uur Workshop Ontwerp je eigen voorwaarden voor Augmented Reality
21:30 - 22:00 uur Borrel

Over Sander Veenhof

Sander Veenhof brengt graag tijd door in semi-digitale werelden. Programmeerbare omgevingen in het bijzonder. Hoewel zijn nieuwsgierigheid betrekking heeft op een verre toekomstige samenleving waarin we allemaal in een mixed reality universum leven, is zijn kunstpraktijk hands-on en gesitueerd in het heden. Zijn heden. Dankzij AR kan hij zijn eigen speculatieve levensechte versies van een denkbeeldig universum ensceneren en erin leven. Op die manier kan hij nieuwe (technische) domeinen van binnenuit verkennen, met een focus op hoe het is om een semi-digitaal wezen te worden, versterkt met nieuwe superkrachten maar ook beperkt door nieuwe grenzen. Veenhof begon tien jaar geleden met het creëren van cross-reality projecten in de avatarwereld Second Life, ging toen verder met AR en later was zijn speeltuin onze Zoom-realiteit.

Waag Open

Elke eerste donderdagavond van de maand opent Waag haar deuren! Kom langs om te discussiëren en te doen. Want we gaan niet alleen in discussie over maatschappelijke thema's en de toekomst – je leert daarnaast ook altijd iets praktisch. Iets dat je altijd al hebt willen uitproberen, zoals de 3D-printer in het FabLab, of juist iets dat je nooit had verwacht, zoals uitpluizen hoe DNA in elkaar zit in ons biotech-lab. Waag Open vindt plaats in de maakplaatsen op de eerste en tweede verdieping van het historische Waaggebouw op de Nieuwmarkt.

Toegankelijkheid

Omdat het Waag-gebouw een beschermd monumentaal pand is, is het helaas niet voorzien van een lift. Dit evenement vindt plaats in de Makersguild op de eerste verdieping van het Waag-gebouw.

Mocht je krap bij kas zitten en wel graag aan dit evenement willen deelnemen, neem dan contact op met tanja [@] waag [punt] org.

Gijs Boerwinkel's picture Meet-up on Jun 6th
Herman van den Bosch, professor in management development , posted

Citizen's preferences and the 15-minutes city

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For decades, the behaviour of urban planners and politicians, but also of residents, has been determined by images of the ideal living environment, especially for those who can afford it. The single-family home, a private garden and the car in front of the door were more prominent parts of those images than living in an inclusive and complete neighbourhood. Nevertheless, such a neighbourhood, including a 'house from the 30s', is still sought after. Attempts to revive the idea of 'trese 'traditional' neighbourhoods' have been made in several places in the Netherlands by architects inspired by the principles of 'new urbanism' (see photo collage above). In these neighbourhoods, adding a variety of functions was and is one of the starting points. But whether residents of such a neighbourhood will indeed behave more 'locally' and leave their cars at home more often does not depend on a planning concept, but on long-term behavioural change.
An important question is what changes in the living environment residents themselves prefer. Principles for the (re)design of space that are in line with this have the greatest chance of being put into practice. It would be good to take stock of these preferences, confront (future) residents conflicting ideas en preconditions, for instance with regard to the necessary density. Below is a number of options, in line with commonly expressed preferences.

1. Playing space for children

Especially parents with children want more playing space for their children. For the youngest children directly near the house, for older children on larger playgrounds. A desire that is in easy reach in new neighbourhoods, but more difficult in older ones that are already full of cars. Some parents have long been happy with the possibility of occasionally turning a street into a play street. A careful inventory often reveals the existence of surprisingly many unused spaces. Furthermore, some widening of the pavements is almost always necessary, even if it costs parking space.  

2. Safety

High on the agenda of many parents are pedestrian and cycle paths that cross car routes unevenly. Such connections substantially widen children's radius. In existing neighbourhoods, this too remains daydreaming.  What can be done here is to reduce the speed of traffic, ban through traffic and make cars 'guests' in the remaining streets.  

3. Green

A green-blue infrastructure, penetrating deep into the immediate surroundings is not only desired by almost everyone, but also has many health benefits. The presence of (safe) water buffering (wadis and overflow ponds) extends children's play opportunities, but does take up space. In old housing estates, not much more is possible in this area than façade gardens on (widened) pavements and vegetation against walls.  

4. Limiting space for cars

Even in older neighbourhoods, opportunities to play safely and to create more green space are increased by closing (parts of) streets to cars. A pain point for some residents. One option for this is to make the middle part of a street car-free and design it as an attractive green residential area with play opportunities for children of different age groups. In new housing estates, much more is possible and it hurts to see how conventionally and car-centred these are often still laid out. (Paid) parking at the edge of the neighbourhood helps create a level playing field for car and public transport use.  

5. Public space and (shopping) facilities

Sometimes it is possible to turn an intersection, where for instance a café or one or more shops are already located, into a cosy little square. Neighbourhood shops tend to struggle. Many people are used to taking the car to a supermarket once a week to stock up on daily necessities for the whole week. However, some neighbourhoods are big enough for a supermarket. In some cities, where car ownership is no longer taken for granted, a viable range of shops can develop in such a square and along adjacent streets. Greater density also contributes to this.  

6. Mix of people and functions

A diverse range of housing types and forms is appreciated. Mixing residential and commercial properties can also contribute to the liveliness of a neighbourhood. For new housing estates, this is increasingly becoming a starting point. For business properties, accessibility remains an important precondition.  

7. Public transport

The desirability of good public transport is widely supported, but in practice many people still often choose the car, even if there are good connections. Good public transport benefits from the ease and speed with which other parts of the city can be reached. This usually requires more than one line. Free bus and tram lanes are an absolute prerequisite. In the (distant) future, autonomous shuttles could significantly lower the threshold for using public transport. Company car plus free petrol is the worst way to encourage sensible car use.  

8. Centres in plural

The presence of a city centre is less important for a medium-sized city, say the size of a 15-minute cycle zone, than the presence of a few smaller centres, each with its own charm, close to where people live. These can be neighbourhood (shopping) centres, where you are sure to meet acquaintances.  Some of these will also attract residents from other neighbourhoods, who walk or cycle to enjoy the wider range of amenities. The presence of attractive alternatives to the 'traditional' city centre will greatly reduce the need to travel long distances.
 
The above measures are not a roadmap for the development of a 15-minute city; rather, they are conditions for the growth of a liveable city in general.  In practice, its characteristics certainly correspond to what proponents envisage with a 15-minute city. The man behind the transformation of Paris into a 15-minute city, Carlos Moreno, has formulated a series of pointers based on all the practical examples to date, which can help citizens and administrators realise the merits of the 15-minute city in their own environments. This book will be available from mid-June 2024 and can be reserved HERE.
 
For now, this is the last of the hundreds of posts on education, organisation and environment I have published over the past decade. If I report again, it will be in response to special events and circumstances and developments, which I will certainly continue to follow. Meanwhile, I have started a new series of posts on music, an old love of mine. Check out the 'Expedition music' website at hermanvandenbosch.online. Versions in English of the posts on this website will be available at hermanvandenbosch.com.

Herman van den Bosch's picture #Citizens&Living