Innovation in the Public Sector

Capacity Building Based on Agenda 2030

Impressive change project presentations at the Final conference of CIPSS

People sitting on the grass in a public square drawing.
Outdoor drawing competition on how to revitalize a public space – Merdeka Square in Indonesia

Since September 2022, the programme participants of “Co-design for Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Public Spaces and Services” (CIPSS) have completed several online modules, exploring and understanding the development of sustainable, inclusive and climate resilient cities.

At the beginning of May, an online final conference was held, where they got to share their experiences of developing and implementing local change projects in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

And oh were there a lot of interesting presentations! Everything from how they worked to revitalize a public place in Indonesia (Merdeka square) by engaging important stakeholders in the public, to making playgrounds more inclusive in North Macedonia and making a busy street in Istanbul, Turkey become full of urban green infrastructure including active and passive recreation opportunities.

A selection of pictures from the presentation of the change project on revitalizing Merdeka square in Indonesia

Front page of the presentation of a change project on stakeholder engagement in a public square.
Photo collage from Merdeka square in Indonesia and some text about what people need.
Children's drawings on a table.
As one step to start revitalizing Merdeka square in Indonesia, a drawing competition was held among elementary and junior high school students.
Focus group discussions with stakeholders.
The project also had focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders and an opinion competition among senior high school students.

Some pictures from the presentation of the change project on transforming a busy street in Istanbul

Pictures of what the street in Istanbul looks like normally with all the traffic. Also, text about what the needs are for the future.
In Istanbul this is a very busy street where three different schools are situated. The busy traffic makes the children there vulnerable.
People in the public gathering around a table where they can put post-its with their suggestions.
The project team asked the public to convey their opinions on the street and what changes they wanted.
Pictures from the street during the day it was turned into a pop-up game street.
One day in April they turned the street into a pop-up game street. Plants and trees were temporarily put out on the asphalt as were different opportunities to play.

The Swedish Institute and SALAR International were present

Some former programme participants, the teachers and mentors, representatives from Lund University Commissioned Education (LUCE), the Swedish Institute and SALAR International were among the audience.

SALAR International is a company owned by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). They support democratic community planning and administration at the local and regional levels, using knowledge and experience from Swedish local and regional governments. Magnus Liljeström, senior advisor at SALAR International, spoke about his reflections on the project presentations on the second day of the seminar.

The Swedish Institute, financing the programme, is a public agency that builds interest and trust in Sweden around the world. Magdalena Ellfors, programme manager from the Swedish Institute, also held a presentation and talked about future networking-possibilities.

At the end, Lund University Commissioned Education (LUCE) gave a virtual tour of the city of Lund, which was much appreciated. And, of course, there was a festive diploma ceremony! Now, we wish everybody the best of luck!

Soon, a book is coming that will summarize all the fantastic change projects in the programme so far. Stay tuned for more information!

Many thanks to the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science at Lund University and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for great teaching! The impact on society is clear.

May 10, 2023

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Co-design for Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Public Spaces and Services_22/23

One comment

  1. Ilhami Alkan Olsson

    Thank you for your support. It was an enriching journey with all the participants.

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