The Seconds to Disaster Cityon
Category: Public space, housing & right to the city, Climate justice & environment, Democratic innovation & civic education
Community Member: Grad Odrasta/ DegrowthCity
Type of grant: Rethink
Year: 2019
- Who they are
Grad Odrasta/DegrowthCity is an informal group of architects, urbanists and activists that came together in July 2018 in reaction to the lack of public and professional response to the dilapidation of urban space and environment in the city of Split, Croatia. They are interested in socio-natural conflicts in the urban space, the impact of urban policies on land use, climate change, the involvement of citizens in politics of space and public health and finally the ways in which ‘development’ and the economic growth ‘imperative’ are related to planning practices, environmental and urban policies and quality of citizen’s life. - What they did
Rethink grant supported the second edition of the seminar “Seconds to Disaster City”, which was held in Split, in the space of former shopping center Koteks, from 20th to 22nd of September 2019. The Seminar offered to the city of Split a chance to reflect upon the state in which it found itself, and moreover, the examples of good practice in confronting the urban devastation. Through panels, workshops and working groups, it aimed at getting to know possible methods of activism, advocacy and education in the field of urban and environmental justice and finding a good blend for the local context, existing policies and phenomena in Split. The second purpose was to include the climate change perspective in the discussions about socio-economic and political aspects of urban policies. - Why is this relevant for the FundAction community?
The seminar proposal addressed Peer-to-Peer learning and Mutual trust and respect values of FundAction. With two case studies visits in Zagreb and Belgrade and with international peers that are members of FA network, mutual learning and the sharing of experiences and knowledge foster the consolidation of the network and enable new opportunities. Furthermore, with the “Seconds to disaster City” seminar, they aimed to create a safe environment where people can meet, openly talk and actively listens to each other and discover common ground and goals. This safe space for open conversations is missing in Split and in Croatia in general due to the political environment. There is a strong eagerness to regain mutual trust and respect among different groups within the community.
Links
Website of the event
Article (in Croatian)
Facebook page