Unveiling Collective Resilience: The CoNECT Project in Romania

The CoNECT project, "Collective Networks for Everyday Community Resilience and Ecological Transition," has been a journey of exploration and collaboration across six European countries. As we approach the project's conclusion, the Romanian team, coordinated by ATU, is proud to reflect on our contributions and the significant impact achieved, particularly through the revitalized URBOTECA Fellowship program.

A Collaborative Spirit for Urban Transformation

CoNECT is a European research-action project dedicated to understanding and fostering collective action networks for community resilience and ecological transition. Our work in Romania, alongside partners from Sweden, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, and France, has highlighted the crucial role of citizens, researchers, and institutions in shaping more sustainable and inclusive urban futures.

Mapping Resilience in Romanian Cities

One of our key achievements has been the comprehensive mapping of community resilience initiatives. The ATU team alone identified and documented 95 initiatives in Romania (82 in Bucharest-Ilfov and 13 in Sibiu), contributing to a broader European interactive map that showcases diverse practices and areas of interest. This mapping effort provided a solid foundation for understanding the landscape of everyday resilience, categorizing initiatives by practices such as learning and education, organizing and networking, gardening, and circular production, and by domains like social cohesion, food systems, and green spaces.

Bucharest Sibiu

The URBOTECA Fellowship: A Catalyst for Change

A cornerstone of the Romanian CoNECT effort has been the URBOTECA Fellowship program. Building on a model developed in a previous JPI ERA-NET project, the 2024 edition of the Fellowship was redesigned to offer enhanced opportunities for young professionals and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Teams of architects, urban planners, anthropologists, and visual artists engaged directly with five urban situations in Bucharest, partnering with diverse hosts like the Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association (ADIZMB), the Creative Quarter Association and CișmiCivic, SAC @ Malmaison gallery, Replika Educational Theatre, and Masca Theatre.

These "living labs" aimed to equip host organizations with tools and resources to redefine their relationship with local communities and leverage the potential of their spaces. For instance, the Fellowship supported ADIZMB in designing a participatory process for the regeneration of the Victoria Tram Depot as a cultural hub. At Masca Theatre, the Fellowship directly catalyzed the "HELIX for Masca" project, transforming the theatre's outdoor space into a cultural and community center with public participation and a focus on ecological sustainability.

The program fostered a non-hierarchical learning environment, emphasizing practical exploration and dialogue, and successfully attracted over 50 applications, far exceeding initial expectations. This has not only contributed to the training of facilitators for participatory diagnostics but has also demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary learning in transforming cities in a sustainable and inclusive way.

Over several months, fellows worked in multidisciplinary teams on five real-life case studies hosted by local community actors. Through hands-on fieldwork, peer collaboration, and short inspiration sessions led by experienced practitioners, they explored how public interest can be co-defined and supported through process design, community cohesion, and ecological transition.

Rather than lectures or formal evaluation, the program emphasized co-creation, horizontal learning, and the development of practical facilitation skills grounded in values like inclusion, openness, and collaboration.

Urboteca Fellowship 2024 was not just about urban space — it was about connecting people, building trust, and reshaping how we work together for a more resilient and inclusive city.