A workshop to collaboratively address thechallenges of public spaces in Strovolos, Nicosia

On May 30, 2024, as part of the validation phase of the RE-DWELL transdisciplinary framework for affordable and sustainable housing, a team led by early-stage researcher Andreas Panagidis and supported by supervisor Nadia Charalambous organized the focus group “Collaborative Neighbourhood Planning Workshop” in Strovolos, a municipality of the Nicosia district in Cyprus.

The workshop focused on addressing the challenges in the public spaces of the Dafni neighbourhood, which are currently in a state of disrepair and vandalized by local youth, highlighting a lack of social capital. A diverse group of ten participants, including residents, architects, planners, Cyprus Land Development Corporation (CLDC) representatives, and academics, attended the event. The Strovolos municipality facilitated the organization of the workshop.

A specially designed game, based on a structured language developed in the RE-DWELL programme, enabled the discussion. The findings revealed that broader and more horizontal collaboration with diverse stakeholders is both desirable and productive. The workshop demonstrated that such collaborative processes serve as effective platforms for exchanging diverse opinions and experiences and are particularly useful for creating a common understanding of complex issues.