11/11 project. - joint design for the revitalization of ul. 11 Listopada in Bielsko-Biała

Collaborative design

11/11 project. – is a design experiment involving the application of design methodology to the cooperation of the local community in formulating and implementing a common goal. The aim was to find solutions for the revival (revitalization) of 11. Listopada Street in Bielsko-Biała, an important historical and functional axis for the city. People interested in the topic were invited to cooperate: residents, property owners, city authorities, entrepreneurs, local government organizations and social activists. And designers from partner universities: the Design Faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice and the Faculty of Industrial Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.

Method
When choosing one of the many design methods, the aim was to make it simple and widely known. Hence the choice of five design thinking steps: EMPHATIZE – DEFINE – IDEATE – PROTOTYPE – TEST. A modification previously used in work with young people was introduced, simplifying it to three steps: FEEL - IDEA - DO. Thus, the message addressed to the local community through a promotional campaign and joint meetings ultimately took the form of an invitation to define problems and ideas for solving them, and then to jointly select and test the best concepts.

1. LET'S DEFINE THE PROBLEMS
2. LET'S COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS
3. LET'S DO IT

The task of the expert team was ongoing analysis and feedback. The campaign to collect problems and ideas lasted in the spring and summer of 2022.

Stage 1 - defining problems.
The collected problem descriptions were similar and can be reduced to a five-point list ranked according to the degree of repeatability expressed as a percentage.

1. Dead Street - (52%)
   - no life, nothing happening, no reason to come, closed in the evening
2. Premises - (23%)
   - empty buildings, old shops, lack of interesting places
3. Social - (19%)
   - social margin, lack of integration,
4. Appearance - (14%)
   - slum pictures, kitschy advertisements, neglected tenement houses, not much
   
5. Infrastructure - (9%)
   - too little greenery, no place to sit, destroyed facades,
   uneven pavement
   

By analyzing the list of problems, connections and dependencies were looked for. It can be said that the term "dead street" means the sum of the rest. Empty premises, social problems, neglected appearance and insufficient infrastructure contribute to the overall impression of "lack of life". Therefore, it would be proposed as main groups,

Stage 2 - coming up with solutions
All incoming ideas were recorded on the website (www.arting.flid.pl). After selection and necessary shortcuts, a list of invented solutions was created, divided into four groups of problems (housing, social, appearance, infrastructure) and ranked according to the degree of repeatability expressed as a percentage.

Venues - ideas:

1. Rents - (18%) - a rent reduction program for preferred activities such as: socially attractive businesses, urban gardens, restaurants, cafes, art galleries, handicrafts, craft studios, socially active artistic associations.
2. Premises for young people - (19%) - coworking, exhibitions, premises for rent, game arcades
3. Art shops - (19%) - antique shops, bookstores, regional handicrafts
4. Art (9%) - mural, art installations, exhibitions, workshops
5. Other stores - (9%) - local, not chain, interesting,
   antiques, souvenirs
6. Gastronomy - (8%) - more premises, open in the evenings, kitchens
   world, bars, cafes
7. Music - (6%) - live, musicians, karaoke, place for jazz, instrument rental
8. Space for crafts - (6%)
9. Space for artists - (4%)
10. Museums - (2%)

Social - ideas:

1. Community center in Biała - (8%) - activation of children and youth, seniors, community centers, playrooms for children and adults
2. Social integration – (6%) – mutual communication between authorities and residents
3. Outdoor cinema – (6%)
4. Exchange of things – (4%) - fairs
5. Cyclical events – (4%) - street festivals, tourists, old cars, history
6. Gentrification – (2%) - prevent changes in social structure

Appearance - ideas:

1. Historical arrangement of the street (9%) - signs, appearance, urban open-air museum
2. Art – (9%) - mural, art installations, exhibitions, workshops
3. Street roofing – (6%0 - partial, temporary, umbrellas
4. Renovations of tenement houses - (6%) - revitalization
5. Ecology – (5%) - green wall, planted trees, panels, chargers, open green space for children and remote work, street of plants and good energy.
6. Wooden benches – (5%)
7. Fountains – (5%)

Infrastructure - ideas:

1. Planted greenery - (16%) - no flowerpots, large trees, islands of greenery, shade, rows of trees
2. River – (4%) - access, city beach
3. Public transport and better application – (3%)

When analyzing invented solution concepts, the potential of the collective must be recognized. A surprisingly consistent image of a beautiful and good place to live is being created. However, further work is needed to model possible variants and implementation stages. However, this seems possible, given the noticeable positive attitude of people, institutions and local authorities.

Stage 3 – let's do it… / prototyping
Before the final implementation of the design project, its operation should be tested by constructing a prototype. It seems that this principle can also apply to live social projects. Defining problems and coming up with solutions together could result in a shared agreement to test jointly selected concepts. For example, new inclusive sign prototypes
historical tradition could be created by young designers from art schools. A new type of service or store idea can be tested for a short time, limiting the cost risk.

Prototyping areas may overlap with previously formulated problem areas.

1. Premises - premises other than in galleries and in the vicinity, gastronomy, new services, art.
2. Social - events, culture, integration, youth.
3. Appearance - art, historical styling, good advertising.
4. Infrastructure - living greenery, ecology, river, revitalization.

There is a need for cooperation and coordination in the implementation of projects, tests and prototypes to increase the range of promotion and achieve the synergy effect. You can also benefit from the experience of many projects implemented in various cities around the world. Notable projects were also created in Poland

BB Design Lab
Experience from several months of working on the 11/11 Project. teaches that the process of designing changes and then implementing them can often take longer than a year. This results from both the number of emerging conditions and the need for the actions used to be harmonious. There is also a need to collect data and develop methods of sharing it. Many contacts and meetings are needed, which requires technical facilities and staff. For these needs, the People-Innowacje-Design Foundation has created a separate structure operating on the principle of an open design laboratory based in the foundation's building. The name BB Design Lab was adopted.

BB Design Lab is a collaborative design laboratory in the city space. Its purpose is to support and coordinate projects, organize meetings and exhibitions, communicate and promote events. Collect a database and provide information to all interested parties. The laboratory is open to everyone
cooperation for the well-being of the community

Good practices
An example of filling empty premises is the market in Brixton Village in London. In 2009, most of the premises there were empty, so the owner planned to close half of the market. The Spacemakers group was engaged to cooperate in revitalizing and filling the market. A competition was announced for ideas for activities in vacant market premises, and the prize was the possibility of implementation
idea in one of the cubicles without having to pay rent for three months. 30 ideas were selected and for the first time in over 30 years, all premises at the market were rented. Regular events were also organized to increase the number of visitors and to maintain the involvement of the local community (Fig. 1, 2).

In response to the limited amount of greenery, pocket parks - small green islands in cities - appear in various places. The idea here is to develop spaces such as backyards or empty city plots into well-kept green spaces, and the aim is to provide vegetation that will improve the air quality and well-being of residents and employees in the area. They are becoming more and more popular in Polish cities due to their small size and the availability of places where they can be built. An example is the Literary Garden in Krakow's Krowodrza district, which developed an old yard between the blocks of flats, implemented as part of the city-wide project Krakowian Gardens (Fig. 3).

In Nuremberg, one factor changed the face of certain neighborhoods. The created U1 metro line breathed new life into the housing estates located along it. Designers from Urban Lab Nuremberg noticed the potential and organized the Quartier U1 project. The aim was to activate the inhabitants of the "district" and take control over the space. As part of the project, residents and Urban Lab implemented initiatives such as: urban gardening and planting edible plants, shared gardening tools, game areas, street galleries, a skate park, a garden school, a guide on how to visit Nuremberg without spending money, a community kitchen, and conference on urban development. The project was welcomed with enthusiasm by the residents of the "U1 district" and they took part in all activities (Fig. 4, 5).

An installation encouraging passers-by to interact with the space, but also with other people, was Mouse Light Fun, implemented by the +ing studio on the occasion of the Lantern Festival in Taiwan in 2020. The shadows of passers-by changed into the shadows of mice, encouraging them to play with their own shadows (Fig. 6).

When it comes to ensuring the aesthetics of urban space and eliminating stylistic and information chaos, Krakow can recently boast of having implemented a landscape resolution. Banners and advertisements should either be subdued and minimalist or disappear completely. Thanks to this, for the first time in a long time you can see the facades of some buildings, such as the Forum Hotel or the National Museum building (Fig. 7).

Well-designed interiors and shop windows are awarded in the Red Dot competition in the Spatial & Retail Design category. These designs can be an inspiration for new, aesthetically subdued, yet still inviting premises at ul. November 11. We present several: Small Glass Seoul, South Korea by Urbanplay (Fig. 8), Hotel Thé Stay at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport by Cheng Pu Interior Design (Fig. 9), Bethoven 4 Haus Bonn in Germany by Büro Müller-Rieger GmbH (Fig. 10)