RIUW 2020 – project presentation
The project is an initiative to increase the social sustainability of the city, using existing urban resources (Molo Longo, etc.). It is a campaign aiming for the healthy and active involvement of citizens of Rijeka in the inclusion of young people with disabilities, and an increase the availability of healthy physical activities (Nordic walking).
The purpose is to revive the social capital of citizens through the creation of social space for meeting and interactions between different groups of citizens in order to encourage further initiatives for the sustainable development of the city – networking of citizens encourages public and active action.
The project is sustainable because Nordic walking participants receive Nordic walking sticks as a gift so that they can continue to walk in an urban setting, and a group of young people with disabilities who have previously mastered walking in an urban setting, together with an instructor, pass this skill on to citizens. Nordic walking sticks are becoming a symbol of the healthy networking of citizens, urban social capital is increasing and the city is gaining a sustainable dimension.
Citizens living in the centre have insufficiently developed social capital, low trust and reduced solidarity with marginalized and vulnerable groups and potentials of the city. Among them, there are no initiatives that will result in daily increased activities for the good of the community, and the problem of feelings of transience and alienation, as well as lack of identification with the space in which they live, increase. With this project, we will influence on the development of the community in the city centre, by connecting the citizens and introducing the inclusive active participation of our young ones as a viable and beneficial option. If there is to be a sustainable reflection of the city, development of trust and solidarity, there needs to be a public space, a platform for sustainable city development and management, using existing resources and the structure organization of free time. We want to contribute to all of these.
The general goal is to develop the community in the city centre and increase the social capital of the citizenry. Indirectly, this will result in a network of citizens, and it will perpetuate the creation of new creative initiatives. The specific goals are: to enable the citizens of the city centre of Rijeka and other surrounding neighborhoods to create a meeting place, so they can develop positive social interactions with their fellow citizens; the adoption of the Nordic walking technique suitable for all ages, through a recognizable symbol of urban walking – the Nordic walking sticks; enable the group of young people with disabilities who we work with in the city centre to actively engage in Nordic walking on Molo Longo and other locations in the city centre, in order to increase their visibility and enable them to volunteer inclusively for other citizens; provide and make available a Nordic walking course to citizens, in order to have walking sticks as a gift at the end of the project, thus ensuring the sustainability of the results.
The goal is also to build a community through the use of existing public areas of the city, which will increase the overall trust in the community and create an innovative platform and an identifier for the development of the city’s identity – “We, the Rijeka urban walkers!”
Activities/results
a) organization and management of the project, direct activities with citizens, marginalized and vulnerable groups, as well as young people with difficulties:
Organization and implementation of a Nordic walking course (NW) for young people with developmental and psychosocial functioning difficulties, gathered in our organization in the city centre. The course took place on the route from the Ivan Dežman Street to the Molo Longo pier, once or twice a week, and was attended by more than 20 young people with difficulties.
- The leader of the Nordic walking course activities is a certified NW leader (Š. Ćorić), who was helped by 2 trained work assistants, Karmen Vučetić, Master of Psychology and Nela Bralić, Bachelor of Art, in order to customize tasks.
- Graphic design and visual identity were done by Nela Bralić, Bachelor of Art.
b) organization of a course for citizens:
Over 120 citizens participated, joining young people with difficulties, of which about 100 were members of the Rijeka Pensioners’ Association, 10 were volunteers and 4 were activity leaders.
All citizens who participated in at least 4 activities received Nordic walking sticks as a gift (with the project sticker and EPK2020 sticker), because they actively participated in the campaign to increase solidarity and strengthen the community, i.e. because they participated in all activities of the project.
c) communication campaign:
The main goal is to increase the visibility of the target group, which we succeeded in doing because the city centre was the campaign area. A press conference was organized, leaflets, posters and a project banner were printed, a logo and stickers were made and pasted on sticks, and a Facebook page was opened: https://www.facebook.com/RI-Urban-Inclusive-Walking-2020-za-održivu-i-inkluzivnu-Rijeku-625242417949999/.
- We were guests on the show Inclusion (Kanal RI) and other shows on local TV.
- We organized the Days of Trust and Solidarity in the DIP, through which citizens could get to know all the activities the DIP does and participate in the “I GIVE -YOU GIVE!” promotion of solidarity! Activities were held once a week, so that throughout the duration of the project citizens could participate in at least one activity provided by DIP.
- Between the two main activities (NW course) there were two lectures for citizens on social capital and its importance for prosperity, but also on the importance of participatory activities in the development of the city and the citizenry (emphasis on sustainable development) under the motto: What can I do for us? The goal of this was to launch neighbourhood initiatives for support and self-organization at the city centre.
- The final activity was held at Molo Longo, to which all participants and other citizens who take part in the Nordic walking activity were invited, in order to gather and jointly send a message to the public about the importance of solidarity, trust, and physical activity.
- A competition for the most successful photography of all the activities of citizens was organized, and an exhibit of the best photographs was opened in cooperation with the Society of Architects Rijeka: https://rijeka2020.eu/natjecaj-za-najbolju-amatersku-fotografiju-projekta-ri-urban-inclusive-walking-2020-za-odrzivu-i-inkluzinu-rijeku/
- All participants received T-shirts with the project logo.
- Novi list: presentation and invitation to citizens:
https://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Rijeka/PRIDRUZITE-SE-Hodanjem-i-druzenjem-do-zdravlja
- Moja Rijeka: presentation of the project
https://www.mojarijeka.hr/predstavljen-projekt-ri-urban-inclusive-walking-2020-za-osobe-s-teskocama-u-razvoju/
- Kanal RI: presentation of the project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ih0PmCepPM
- Ri portal: presentation of the project
https://riportal.net.hr/u-rijeci-predstavljen-projekt-ri-urban-inclusive-walking-2020-za-osobe-s-teskocama-u-razvoju/
- Novi list: the end of the project
https://novilist.hr/layout/set/print/Vijesti/Rijeka/UKLJUCI-SE-Rijeka-2020-EPK-financira-male-ideje-koje-grad-cine-boljim-mjestom-za-zivot.-Prijavi-se
