The three-year CoNECT project is coming to an end and, although our engagement continues, it is a good moment to look back and capture some highlights from our actions and outputs in one place... Following on from our work on the living map of community initiatives, we focused on the uniquely Dutch phenomenon of the 'buurthuiskamer' or neighborhood living room, spending a year following four such spaces, observing and participating in their everyday practices, and conducting twenty semi-structured interviews with initiators, participants and stakeholders. As part of embedding this work and making it meaningful to the community, we helped co-produce (in collaboration with Philippa Driest of KIOSK Rotterdam ) a riso-printed newspaper for Huis van de Toekomst, documenting their projects, profiling their participants, and discussing local issues. All editions of the newspaper can be read on the HvdT website . Based on this research, we developed a nuanced understanding of how 'resilience' is cultivated not only as a way of surviving present-day struggles and adapting to a changing world, but also imagining and implementing more pleasurable, sustainable, desirable community life. As prefigurative practices, they are small pockets where ordinary communities are able to practice everyday life the way they want, beyond the conventions of the market, the welfare state, and individualist consumer society. We have presented and discussed our findings at multiple academic conferences and public forums: 'Spaces of Resilience: a typology of places and practices in two Dutch cities' presented at the conference ‘Repurposing Places for Social and Environmental Resilience’ , University of East London, March 2023 'Viable Futures in the Everyday: neighborhood living rooms as imagination infrastructure' presented at the digital conference ‘ Global Cultures, Local Spaces ’, organized by AMPS (Architecture, Media, Photography, Society), December 2023. 'Prefiguring (un)just transitions? Niches, experiments and everyday practices in Rotterdam' presented at the International Conference on Urban Affairs : ‘Cities on the Edge’, New York, April 2024 'Prefiguring viable futures in the everyday' presented at the International Geographical Congress , Dublin, August 2024 ‘Neighborhood Living Rooms as Prefigurative Experiments’ presented at Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, as part of the public colloquium ‘ Art as a verb: the circuit of commons ’, February 2025  research paper 'Prefiguring the caring city: everyday practices and postcapitalist possibility' presented at the AESOP Young Academics meeting ‘Circular Cities and Regions: Planning for Sustainable Social and Inclusive Communities’ , Hannover, March 2025. This paper has subsequently been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in the journal Urban Planning  (open access, forthcoming summer 2025) project summary presented at ' Action Research Bucharest: alternative models of cultural infrastructure ', CINETIC, Bucharest, April 2025 Working with TU/e Masters students in architecture and urbanism, and using the CoNECT living map as starting point, we developed the student exhibition ‘Tomorrow Together: Reimagining Everyday Practices’ . This was exhibited at De Fabriek in Eindhoven (June 2024), in updated form at Casa Vertigo, TU/e (Oct-Dec 2024), and finally at the CoNECT closing symposium at CINETIC, Bucharest (April 2025). We also organized several hybrid webinars, all of which can be seen on our YouTube playlis t: webinar on ‘ Transformative Learning ’, March 2024 webinar on 'Urban Commons and Collective Action', June 2024 webinar and public symposium ‘ Design Pedagogies for a Post-Growth Future ’, December 2024 In September 2025, we will build further on our research by hosting a two-day research symposium around the theme of 'Prefiguring Hopeful Futures' in collaboration with the AESOP thematic group 'Public Spaces and Urban Cultures' and local partners in Eindhoven. Finally, it is important to us that our work does not only speak to an academic audience, but also has wider public impact - and does so beyond the official end date of the project. That's why we used our findings as the basis for a series of meetings and workshops with the Gemeente Eindhoven, the Urban Development Initiative, and representatives of several 'buurthuiskamers' around Eindhoven. This was a way to show the value of these initiatives to policymakers, and to argue for their support and inclusion in the city's innovation agenda and large-scale densification strategy. We also made an effort to catalyze more contact, cooperation and exchange between the communities themselves, many of whom faced similar struggles but did so in isolation. Finally, we have produced a 'policy and practice' working document around neighborhood living rooms as the basis for an ongoing conversation with the city as a way to make sure our findings can be incorporated into the city's recently adopted 'buurtontmoetingsbeleid' ('neighborhood meeting-places policy'). We hope to continue this impactful work well beyond the end of CoNECT.

last Saturday June 7th, members of the research projects CONECT and FACTIBLES held an artistic and festive meeting in the Dr. Pedro Vallina square in Seville together other local organizations such as Mi Barrio, the Asociación de Vecinos el Triángulo, the Grupo Scout Inti Raymi and the Club Cultural Ferroviario. The activity was a success, with the participation of a lot of neighbours. A lot remains to be done, but it was a beautiful building of connections and ideas.

Next Saturday June 7th from 10:00 an artistic and festive meeting will take place in the Dr. Pedro Vallina square in Seville as a result of the research project FACTIBLES and in collaboration with the CoNECT project. In collaboration with Mi Barrio, the Asociación de Vecinos el Triángulo, the Grupo Scout Inti Raymi and the Club Cultural Ferroviario, next Saturday, among other activities, we invite you to participate using ecological paint to fill the square with color. The aim is to highlight the importance of the space as a place for community use and symbolize some of the aspirations of the neighborhood to become a real “PLAZA”, dynamic and unique, that with respect and creativity allows coexistence, environmental improvement and enjoyment of life in common.

En novembre 2024 l'équipe de recherche CoNECT a rencontre la maire de Bagneux Marie-Hélène Amiable et maires adjoint.e.s Lionel Chassat et Corinne Pujol, pour présenter le bilan de la recherche CoNECT à Bagneux. Nous avons discuté de l'avenir du réseau, de la potentielle relation avec le CLTE et du rôle complémentaire de ce réseau 'bottom-up' avec le 'top-down'. Le réseau Terreau représente une communauté de pratiques et un temps de réflexion sur les pratiques riches de transition écologique à Bagneux. Doina Petrescu présente le diagram élargi du Terreau de le transition écologique européenne à Bagneux. Prof Bendicht Weber à la mairie de Bagneux De gauche à droite: Profs Bendicht Weber, Doina Petrescu et la maire de Bagneux Marie-Hélène Amiable.

Le 3 avril 2025, nous avons rencontré l'équipe du Pôle TEDD et la maire adjointe Corinne Pujol - Transition écologique et Développement durable, Action sociale et solidarité pour présenter le bilan de notre recherche CoNECT à Bagneux. Nous avons aussi pris le temps de discuter plus précisément de la relation entre le CLTE et le reseau Terreau, et présenter un diagramme qui utilise 'multi-level perspective' theory (Geels 2002) pour analyser les nombreux acteurs de la transition écologique a Bagneux, et les potentiels lacunes/besoins dans ce domaine.

31/05/23 Ce deuxième atelier s'est tenu à l'Agrocite de Bagneux et s'est concentré sur la co-conception d'un événement avec les parties prenantes - Bagneux Environnement, la mairie et le Pôle TEDD, le PPCM et le Lycée avant le Lycée. Nous avons utilisé des fiches de conception d'événement comme outils de conversation et de co-conception. Des modèles A3 imprimés ont été créés pour que chaque participant les remplisse afin de proposer des événements collaboratifs. Les sections comprenaient : quoi, où, avec qui et comment. Une fois de plus, nous avons utilisé la grande carte imprimée pour discuter et identifier d'autres initiatives écologiques ou de résilience communautaire dans la région.

The aim of this introductory workshop at La courtille middle school was to involve Sustainable Development students interested in ecology to explore their neighbourhood, identify places they go to regularly in Saint Denis, and have ideas about ecological improvements to their neighbourhood. The workshop helped us to understand the neighbourhood better, encouraged the students to have a critical lens on their environment; was a first look at the neighbourhood in an ecological way; and identified issues in the neighbourhood From this session outputs were synthesised to create a picture of Saint Denis through the students eyes, enabling the following co-design workshop to build on the neighbourhood context and focus on the school site. The pupils were from year 7, 8 and 9, hand had identified Sustainable Development as an interest. SD is an elected module, so the pupils already have an interest in sustainable practices. The session was facilitated by the La Courtille Sustainable Development teacher, aaa, and the CoNECT team. Participatory Mapping in the Classroom The workshop began with a Mapping exercise. The class split into 4 groups. Each group was given a pre-prepared printed A1 perspective map-drawing of the Saint Denis area, with the school site at the centre. The first exercise consisted of identifying the places that they go to locally, writing names for internal spaces on one colour post-it, and for the interior spaces on a second colour. The second exercise consisted of identifying their most frequent journey, drawn with a coloured pen each, and specifying the kind of journey (by bus/on foot). Exercise 1: The students identified many local places that they frequent often - outside spaces include bus stops, public spaces, sports grounds, gardens, playgrounds and parks; internal spaces include other schools, eateries, cafes, sports halls, and religious spaces such as mosques. Exercise 2: Quickly we began to see the most popular quotidian routes were from home to school. If the students lived closeby, they were on foot. Further away, they were by bus. Most students live close by and travel to school on foot. There is a strong crossover of routes in proximity to the school; many students cut through the estate to get to the school gate. Walkabout - Mapping ecological potential in the neighbourhood The second part of the workshop focused on ecological opportunities, strengths and weaknesses in the neighbourhood. First, we split the neighbourhood up into 4 similarly sized parts, so that each group would explore a different area. Each facilitator accompanied and worked with a group for this part of the workshop. Each group of 5 students were given an A3 sheet of the same map base as previously used. The aim was for the facilitator to take photographs of things (as directed by the pupils) that seemed like ecological processes, where there could be improvements made, opportunities for ecological intervention, or where there is a problem. Each photo was located on the map and numbered using a pen. This map combines all 4 groups’ photographs from the walkabout and categorises them into different types of observations: Growing spaces (2) Green spaces (16) Waste management problem area (4) Mineral spaces (2) Opportunity space (7) Space already in use (21) Strengths The pupils identified a number of cultural spaces that they appreciate and use regularly such as the maison de quartier, and the ‘mediatheque’ (media library). There are also a number of green spaces and growing spaces that they enjoy such as the garden at the maison de quartier, Gally farm and the clos la fabrique. They identified squares and playgrounds that worked well, occasionally highlighting the need for more seating in these areas. They liked planted flowers and wooded areas. Weaknesses: Generally the pupils find waste management to be lacking in the area. Bins are often untidy and overflowing, and there are areas where rubbish is thrown and not picked up, including fly tipping. Opportunities: They identified a number of opportunities for planting, growing food, public realm improvements such as seating and space to eat for example. They also identified a number of opportunities for composting. They also mentioned providing spaces for those in need. Conclusions: The pupils were able to be critical of their neighbourhood and identify opportunities for ecological improvement. They also gave importance to social support, linking ecological practices to social issues of homelessness and food security. They were able to quickly have many ideas for projects to carry out in the neighbourhood. The workshop was a one off with this group - as there were students from 3 different year groups, they do not normally work together.

Pilar Ortiz, Professor at the UPO and member of the CoNECT project, presented the project at the Round Table “From information to co-participation: citizenship in risk management”, a space for reflection and dialogue on the importance of actively integrating citizens in emergency management, held at the Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of Seville. The round table raised the need for in-depth reflection on current management models and the need to promote an active, trained and committed citizenry. The other speakers at the round table were José Ignacio Artillo Pavón, cultural anthropologist and expert in participation and collective intelligence; Francisco Chiara Caro, electronic engineer, specialist in technological platforms applied to emergencies and Paula Montilla Gómez, architect, expert in emergencies and protection of cultural heritage. You can watch the video of the Round Table at this link.

Torreblanca Verde has participated today in the First Meeting EcoMetróPaolis Seville with Ecologistas en Acción, Ecourbe, Red Sevilla por el Clima, Jalea Luz, Pulmón Verde Arrayáno and Parque Vivo del Guadaira among others. EcoMetroPolis has organized workshops, debates, games and botanical walks for the whole family. Torreblanca Verde has exhibited the birds' nests that they make in the workshops they give and have presented the book by Astrid Vargas La magia de la transformación. Memoria de una mariposa no voladora.

Rencontre Terreau au site du Lycée avant le Lycée En Juin 2025, pour célébrer et pratiquer la recherche et le réseau Terreau, les partenaires co-développent une école du jardin planétaire . Cette 'école' est un concept développé par paysagiste Gilles Clément, 'selon lequel la Terre est, à l’image d’un jardin, un espace clos et fini qu’il appartient à l’homme d’entretenir et de préserver. Il invite chacun d’entre nous à prendre conscience de l’aspect « épuisable » de notre biodiversité, à en tenir compte dans notre rapport à la nature… Une attention qui passe avant tout par la connaissance et le recensement de la biodiversité de notre quotidien. « Le projet s’inscrit dans le simple principe de partager le savoir et la connaissance et de cultiver la biodiversité sur un territoire rempli de richesses…». A Bagneux, nous sommes en train de sélectionner des sites et préparer les ateliers et déambulations qui auront lieu plus tard ce mois-ci, en collaboration avec des spécialistes invités. Selections de sites de jardin dans Bagneux - nord et sud

En janvier 2025, une collaboration a débuté avec la professeur d'art du collège La Courtille et l'équipe CoNECT, afin de concevoir une série d'ateliers au cours desquels les élèves de 6ème développeraient des bandes dessinées d'histoires en lien avec l'EcoLab. Pour inspirer les élèves, une malle de publications et bandes dessinées en lien avec l'écologie a été emprunté a la médiathèque Gulliver En février, avec Mme Prieur et sa classe d'art de 6ème, nous avons commencé à discuter de ce qui pourrait se passer dans l'EcoLab. À qui cet espace pourrait-il servir ? Quelles activités pourraient y être organisées ? Que pourraient-ils y faire avec leurs amis, leurs familles et leurs voisins ? Comment l'EcoLab pourrait être utilisé par le quartier? Les élèves ont commencé a developper leurs histoires. Qui sont les personnages? Ou cela se produit-il? Qu'est ce qui se passe? Au cours de sept ateliers en février et mars, les élèves ont élaborés leurs histoires et dessins. Ces dessins formeront un fanzine qui sera imprimé et publié pour l'ouverture de l'EcoLab plus tard dans l'année.

Yesterday the CONECT project and ART-RISK diffusion were jointly presented at the Science Fair in Seville. By means of two role-playing board games, the project was explained to primary, secondary and high school students. The first role-playing game allowed the youngsters to understand concepts such as danger, vulnerability, exposure and risk through a card game. In the second, they were able to evaluate the tools that make us resilient to the threat of fire in a museum. More information at: https://feriadelaciencia.org/01_FERIACIENCIA/