Co-production, resilience - new urban policies in Central and Eastern European cities

Cities in Central and Eastern Europe are witnessing a transition in policy making. The emergence and institutionalization of co-produced, open and user driven urban strategies as opposed to the inner mechanisms of public administration is an ongoing learning process for all actors.

Combining global and local economic, social and cultural models and practices, new strategies try to restructure traditional modes of regulating, designing and maintaining the urban commons. Public administration is increasingly open to innovative approaches, but the embedded structures of decision making, the lack of proactivity and responsible ownership often stand in the way of their lasting integration. The need to hack existing legal and political structures during implementation often leads to the distortion of original ideas. Observing such adaptation processes can help us trace systemic patterns and challenges.

The exhibition analyzes urban projects and policies from the CEE region that support more flexible, incomplete, and possibly more resilient urban systems. Understanding these developments in their context may help us find answers to questions such as: How can we turn the fragmentation of information and responsibilities into an interoperable system? Are there new tools of accountability that allows process-based development, durable partnerships and innovation? Can new urban strategies lead to lasting structural change in urban planning? And last but not least: what is the role of designers in this transition?

Curators: Julia Oravecz, Samu Szemerey (KÉK ‒ Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre)
Project management: Éva Tornyánszki
Design: Architecture Uncomfortable Workshop
Graphic design: Kincső Nagy