THE LIVING CITY

Our cities are constantly evolving, but some processes take longer than others. Large-scale development projects often result in vast empty areas devoid of life and activities for extended periods of time. The project "The Living City" examines ways to activate public spaces during the development phases using a range of activities, installations, participatory processes and communication tools. The goal is to focus on urban life between the buildings and create ownership before the area is finished in order to add value to areas in the early stages of development.

The scope of the project was to create at an inspirational catalogue and some guidelines, which could help the municipality – and others – when engaging in new development projects. Some of the projects suggested were an urban farming project called ‘Farmville’, temporary connections using bridges & barges, pop-up shops, exhibitions, galleries, interactive building fences, participatory processes, local citizen engagement, walking and running routes and interactive installations promoting exercise.

The project focused specifically on the harbour areas in Aarhus, a large development area, which includes prominent landmarks, e.g. the new Urban Media Space, Navitas, Lighthouse and a multitude of other development projects.