Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Metamorphosis (Transformation of neighbourhoods in a child-friendly way to increase the quality of life for all citizens.)
Reporting period: 2018-12-01 to 2020-10-31
The aim of the Metamorphosis project was to transform car-oriented neighbourhoods into child-friendly places to increase the quality of life for all citizens, and thereby act as ‘beacons’ for other cities who wish to follow. Indeed, the core value of the project relied on the premise that the presence of children in urban public space is a major indicator of a people-oriented and sustainable neighbourhood (Gehl, 2013).
The project applied an innovative and participatory approach, which encompassed the direct involvement of children as crucial players in each phase of the project – from planning through implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. During each phase of Metamorphosis children’s perspectives, suggestions, and ideas were highly valued as essential contributions to create more children-friendly cities. The partners of the project consist of seven European Partner cities, i.e. Alba Iulia (RO), Graz (AT), Meran (IT), Munich (DE), Southampton (UK), Tilburg (NL), and Zurich (CH), which sought to pursue the objectives of the project through the support of six further national research and consultancy partners.
The objectives of Metamorphosis mainly related to:
o transforming car-oriented into children-friendly neighbourhoods, leading to behavioural change and increasing citizens quality of life;
o implementing the vision-building process needed for such transformation;
providing research-based answers to issues related to neighbourhood transformation;
o achieving creative breakthrough innovations for streets, squares and other public spaces in neighbourhoods and urban districts, as for instance in the development, design, governance and planning procedures;
o developing and implementing children-friendly mobility solutions;
o evaluating take-up, involvement, process and impacts using innovative evaluation methodologies;
o using innovative transfer instruments to facilitate the transfer of know-how acquired, from city to city and country to country, also beyond the duration of the project.
The project applied an innovative and participatory approach, which encompassed the direct involvement of children as crucial players in each phase of the project – from planning through implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. During each phase of Metamorphosis children’s perspectives, suggestions, and ideas were highly valued as essential contributions to create more children-friendly cities. The partners of the project consist of seven European Partner cities, i.e. Alba Iulia (RO), Graz (AT), Meran (IT), Munich (DE), Southampton (UK), Tilburg (NL), and Zurich (CH), which sought to pursue the objectives of the project through the support of six further national research and consultancy partners.
The objectives of Metamorphosis mainly related to:
o transforming car-oriented into children-friendly neighbourhoods, leading to behavioural change and increasing citizens quality of life;
o implementing the vision-building process needed for such transformation;
providing research-based answers to issues related to neighbourhood transformation;
o achieving creative breakthrough innovations for streets, squares and other public spaces in neighbourhoods and urban districts, as for instance in the development, design, governance and planning procedures;
o developing and implementing children-friendly mobility solutions;
o evaluating take-up, involvement, process and impacts using innovative evaluation methodologies;
o using innovative transfer instruments to facilitate the transfer of know-how acquired, from city to city and country to country, also beyond the duration of the project.
User Involvement and Analysis
o General Analysis phase completed with Deliverable 2.1 General Analysis Report (public deliverable)
o Analysis of potential measures in the form of best practice examples collected in the project website. This resulted in D2.2 Catalogue of Potential Measure, Activities, supporting guidelines and tools
o Local Analysis in the partner cities carried out. Results have been collected from all partners and a compilation of the results has been summarized in D2.3. Local Analysis Report Compilation
o Ethics Report D2.4 including the three Ethics Requirements asked for by the Commission completed, with the input of an external Ethics Advisor.
Innovative Concept Development
o Vision building workshops held in all partner cities. In most of these workshops’ children were the main stakeholder group and the Vision Building Report D3.1 completed.
o Based on the Vision Building Process and the Local Analysis the Implementation plans in all partner cities were developed and compiled in D3.2 Implementation plan
Implementation Trials
o The implementation trials in all partner cities have been carried out successfully in all 5 activity fields. The consortium has managed to complete 70 different measures, that were implemented 793 times in at 64 different neighbourhoods. During the implementation trial, more than140.000 people were reached, and more than 30.000 people participated in the project. All information about the implementation of the various measures is recorded in D4.1 Compilation of Instruments developed. In addition (as part of) this deliverable fact sheets were prepared and are available on the website for download by followers.
o D4.2 Compilation of Metamorphosis cities’ SUMP Integration Plans is available on the website
Capacity Building
o Capacity building within the consortium has been carried out during special training sessions associated with the first and the second project meeting. City officials (also from Zurich) were present. The content included: Team building, innovation management, monitoring and evaluation activities, implementation plans, social media, quality management.
o Capacity Building within the city in local language. All partner cities carried out stakeholder workshops tailored to the specific needs of the city and the most relevant target groups. In some cases, several such workshops took place.
o Capacity Building among the cities (5.2.2) was associated with the partner meetings and each hosting city presented the activity field that they have the most know-how in.
o Capacity building among participating educational institutions (5.2.3). All research partners (TUD, BUas and SOTON) have integrated Metamorphosis content in their teaching curricula.
o Development of Didactic materials (5.3.1) resulted in Deliverable 5.2 Set of didactic materials and includes Infographics, the project’s Fact Sheets (prepared in WP4), Presentations, Educational Video Clips and webinars. Deliverable 5.2 (D5.2) contains the didactic materials produced under 5.3.1 and 5.3.3 for target groups reached through tasks 5.2.3 and 5.3.2.
The didactic materials are also available on the project website.
o Capacity building on an international level (5.3.2) for different target groups was conducted
Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance
o Final Monitoring and Evaluation Report. The results showed that to be successful in the implementation of their task and the fulfilment of all expected impacts it was necessary to overcome barriers, which all project partners did successfully.
Communication, Dissemination and Promotion
o Website and Visual Identity for the project have been developed
o Social media and blog activities were successful on Facebook, Instagram and twitter
The 4 neighbourhood projects organised 2 “Neighbourhood Conferences” together. One in Brussels in November 2019 and the second one online in October 2020.
o Promotion of the project during all CIVITAS Forum Conference as well as during Urban Mobility Days 2020
o “20 good reasons for street transformation in neighbourhoods” brochure is available in 12 languages on the project website
o All city partners produced incoming packages
o 75 Webniars have been held
o General Analysis phase completed with Deliverable 2.1 General Analysis Report (public deliverable)
o Analysis of potential measures in the form of best practice examples collected in the project website. This resulted in D2.2 Catalogue of Potential Measure, Activities, supporting guidelines and tools
o Local Analysis in the partner cities carried out. Results have been collected from all partners and a compilation of the results has been summarized in D2.3. Local Analysis Report Compilation
o Ethics Report D2.4 including the three Ethics Requirements asked for by the Commission completed, with the input of an external Ethics Advisor.
Innovative Concept Development
o Vision building workshops held in all partner cities. In most of these workshops’ children were the main stakeholder group and the Vision Building Report D3.1 completed.
o Based on the Vision Building Process and the Local Analysis the Implementation plans in all partner cities were developed and compiled in D3.2 Implementation plan
Implementation Trials
o The implementation trials in all partner cities have been carried out successfully in all 5 activity fields. The consortium has managed to complete 70 different measures, that were implemented 793 times in at 64 different neighbourhoods. During the implementation trial, more than140.000 people were reached, and more than 30.000 people participated in the project. All information about the implementation of the various measures is recorded in D4.1 Compilation of Instruments developed. In addition (as part of) this deliverable fact sheets were prepared and are available on the website for download by followers.
o D4.2 Compilation of Metamorphosis cities’ SUMP Integration Plans is available on the website
Capacity Building
o Capacity building within the consortium has been carried out during special training sessions associated with the first and the second project meeting. City officials (also from Zurich) were present. The content included: Team building, innovation management, monitoring and evaluation activities, implementation plans, social media, quality management.
o Capacity Building within the city in local language. All partner cities carried out stakeholder workshops tailored to the specific needs of the city and the most relevant target groups. In some cases, several such workshops took place.
o Capacity Building among the cities (5.2.2) was associated with the partner meetings and each hosting city presented the activity field that they have the most know-how in.
o Capacity building among participating educational institutions (5.2.3). All research partners (TUD, BUas and SOTON) have integrated Metamorphosis content in their teaching curricula.
o Development of Didactic materials (5.3.1) resulted in Deliverable 5.2 Set of didactic materials and includes Infographics, the project’s Fact Sheets (prepared in WP4), Presentations, Educational Video Clips and webinars. Deliverable 5.2 (D5.2) contains the didactic materials produced under 5.3.1 and 5.3.3 for target groups reached through tasks 5.2.3 and 5.3.2.
The didactic materials are also available on the project website.
o Capacity building on an international level (5.3.2) for different target groups was conducted
Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance
o Final Monitoring and Evaluation Report. The results showed that to be successful in the implementation of their task and the fulfilment of all expected impacts it was necessary to overcome barriers, which all project partners did successfully.
Communication, Dissemination and Promotion
o Website and Visual Identity for the project have been developed
o Social media and blog activities were successful on Facebook, Instagram and twitter
The 4 neighbourhood projects organised 2 “Neighbourhood Conferences” together. One in Brussels in November 2019 and the second one online in October 2020.
o Promotion of the project during all CIVITAS Forum Conference as well as during Urban Mobility Days 2020
o “20 good reasons for street transformation in neighbourhoods” brochure is available in 12 languages on the project website
o All city partners produced incoming packages
o 75 Webniars have been held
The involvement of children during all project stage was the unique approach of the project and triggered changes in the respective neighbourhoods through involvement of unusual user groups like children, teachers, parents and thus goes far beyond the existing practice. With this Metamorphosis methodology it was possible to include emotional social and educational elements besides the usual technical planning approaches.
Unorthodox interventions were used to bring about a transformation of car-orientated to child friendly.
In total 64 neighbourhoods in 7 cities will be transformed with:
o Completion of 70 different measures (recorded in Fact Sheets) among those 87 temporary street openings including 260 interventions in public space
o 21 Crystallisation points (mobility share points, urban gardening, etc.)
o Educational innovation tools in all partner cities
o Empowerment activities (incl. bicycle training, repair workshops, etc.)
o Improvement of planning procedures in all partner cities
o Integration into SUMP or similar available documents in partner cities
o Set of training materials for 75 webinars (5 topics)
o Set of didactical teaching material for Universities
Unorthodox interventions were used to bring about a transformation of car-orientated to child friendly.
In total 64 neighbourhoods in 7 cities will be transformed with:
o Completion of 70 different measures (recorded in Fact Sheets) among those 87 temporary street openings including 260 interventions in public space
o 21 Crystallisation points (mobility share points, urban gardening, etc.)
o Educational innovation tools in all partner cities
o Empowerment activities (incl. bicycle training, repair workshops, etc.)
o Improvement of planning procedures in all partner cities
o Integration into SUMP or similar available documents in partner cities
o Set of training materials for 75 webinars (5 topics)
o Set of didactical teaching material for Universities