This document summarizes a community placemaking project in Aveiro, Portugal called "VIVACIDADE. Vestir os Vazios da Cidade" that aims to temporarily develop urban voids and turn them into welcoming, accessible, useful, vibrant places through community engagement. The project involves the municipality, university, and cultural sector. It has engaged local citizens, civic associations, students, media partners, and sponsors to select voids and authorize owners. The participation involves democratic decision making, capacity building, advocacy, and cross-sectoral civic engagement.

1. 1
Stuttgart, 21. Juni 06
Actors of Urban Change
2013-2015

2. 2
Aveiro, Portugal
VIVACIDADE. Vestir os Vazios da Cidade (Dress-up City Voids)
Community engagement through placemaking by developing
temporary urban interventions on urban voids, turning them into
welcoming, accessible, useful, vibrant and enjoyable places.

3. Henrique Praça
Diretor of SETEPÉS, private sector
Maria Ângela Cunha
Architect, Municipality of Aveiro, public sector
João Pedro Rosa,
Director of P.U.I.S. Platform for Social Innovation, University of Aveiro
cultural sector
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Who are we?

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What do we want?
Urban regeneration by community place-making
Our project aims to turn spaces (voids, discontinuities and interstices
within the urban fabric) in places: welcoming, accessible, useful,
beautiful, vibrant, enjoyable.
Intergenerational engagement
Approaching the locals and the students communities promoting
the exchange of experiences, knowledge and capabilities.
Reinforce local identity
By collecting and working memories and by place making as a way
to promote sense of pride and belonging.

5. Listing and selecting the voids (12 listed, 3 selected).
Owners authorizations (public and private).
Communication: local newspapers, flyer, facebook.
Next week there will be an advertising video on TV monitors in two
Cafés.
Street actions: promoting the project and engaging citizens and
civic associations, done in Cafés and in the streets. At the end
of April there will be a meeting with all the citizens engaged and
civic associations.
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What have we achieved so far??

6. University students
Team from the Municipality
Local citizens (neighbors of the voids)
Civic Associations (CORDA, etc)
Students Union and Parents Associations
(Schools near the voids)
Vivacidade’s Ambassadors (4 to 5 well known
personalities from Aveiro).
Media Partners (local newspapers and radio)
Sponsors (Industrial and Commercial Companies)
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Who do we work with? Who do we have to involve?
(Stakeholders)

7. Democratic decision making (To put citizens at the heart of decision-
making)
Capacity building (leadership; arts&crafts, others)
Advocacy and raising awareness of citizens power to make changes in
local/community environment
Cross-sectoral approach and civic engagement
Responsibilty (Be responsible for specific tasks)
Group structure
Team work
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What does participation mean in our project?