“Innovation in Urban Space Revitalization and Creation of Collective Spaces through Co-Creation”
“The interaction and collective action of urban thinkers, municipal officials, and local activists in Sisabad neighborhood of Mashhad with the aim of creating collective public spaces using local social and economic assets.”
Designing Action-Oriented Solutions to Enhance Indicators of Access Justice/ Spatial Justice in a Case Study (Sisabad Neighborhood, Metropolitan Mashhad)” has been the main objective of this operational research. In line with this overarching goal, the following specific objectives have been defined
Creating an interactive space for dialogue among groups, stakeholders, and concerned urban citizens.
Changing negative perceptions about underprivileged neighborhoods and transforming the perspective of urban elites towards these population areas.
Creating a platform for interaction between local people and urban elites and managers.
Designing a roadmap and action plan based on assets.
Urban experts, architects, city managers, social activists, and urban planning consultants have participated in this co-creation process. This co-creation provides an interactive platform for local and urban stakeholders in all groups, organizations, institutions, etc., to engage in constructive discussions and exchange ideas through intellectual brainstorming, scientific and technical management analysis, and formulation of a roadmap and action plan. Prior to these steps, extensive separate discussions were held with local and urban stakeholders, and their initial perspectives, issues, and challenges were identified and shared. However, these perspectives and opinions have been transformed and the results and outputs are significantly different from what was initially envisioned after mutual discussions .between the two groups
Finding and Results:
This operational research was conducted as a social event in the Sisabad neighborhood of Mashhad and presents a distributive pattern of public and open spaces with the necessary functions for the residents of the neighborhood. The key points of this pattern are:
This pattern is the result of interaction and collective action of urban thinkers, public officials from the municipality, and local activists.
The actions defined in this pattern have been tailored to the existing assets of the neighborhood or its residents. Therefore, no external phenomenon or element has been added to the spatial structure of the neighborhood, and the final proposals have not been influenced by the organic order of it.
What has been proposed is a set of actions that can be implemented with the participation of the people.
Among the proposed actions, the “In Colors” project has been implemented as an example through the co-creation process with the participation of all stakeholders.
The most important finding of this operational research is that in conditions where participatory groups, opinion holders, and those with power and capital see themselves as effective and role-playing in social action based on behavioral patterns, they will be responsible. This is why no dictated position has been defined for them in such a process, or they have not accepted a role or responsibility influenced by social and political pressures. In the social co-creation designed in this research, each of the groups has defined its own interactive pattern with the environment and other groups in a public space that is not under the control of a specific political or economic power and has tried to establish effective communication for idea generation and participation. However, the result has been a combination of the opinions and ideas of the groups that has also included the maximum level of participation. The results of this co-creation in the form of an action program have not only improved the level of access justice to public spaces at the neighborhood level of Sisabad, but also eliminated abandoned urban spaces and enhanced the quality of life for the residents.
