CENTRINNO: Rethinking the way cities shape historical industrial sites into locally productive, sustainable and inclusive hubs

As part of my work in Danish Design Centre, I have the pleasure of contributing to a new, large, EU-funded project by the name of CENTRINNO (which is an acronym for 'New CENTRalities in INdustrial areas as engines for inNOvation and urban transformation').

The project aims to develop and demonstrate strategies, approaches and solutions for regeneration of industrial historic sites and areas as creative production and manufacturing hubs, that 1) hold true to the ecological challenges of our time, 2) boost a diverse, inclusive and innovative urban economy, and 3) and use heritage as a catalyst for innovation and social inclusion.

It gives centre stage to craftsmen, vocationally trained professionals, entrepreneurs, makers, SMEs, Fab Labs, Food Labs and Makerspaces to become key players in the cities supply of local goods and support them to take on a fundamental role in our future cities, thus opposing disengagement and stagnation of local economies.

Through a holistic method of co-design and experimentation in pilot areas, combining the Fab City Global Initiative approach to productive cities with Emotion Networking, and spatially-specific material flow analyses, we bring to the fore both complex, layered histories in different sites across Europe: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Copenhagen, Geneva, Blonduos, Tallinn and Zagreb, as well as the cities available resources in terms of urban landscape, materials, current day skills and practice and human capital.
Experimentation in former industrial sites will happen in innovation hubs such as makerspaces, fab labs, or creative hubs that become in spaces for intersection between actors and stakeholders, including the consortium itself which includes such notable organisations as IAAC (Barcelona), WAAG (Amsterdam) and Fab City Grand Paris (Paris). The industrial pilot site in Copenhagen is the Nordvest area, which Danish Design Centre will contribute to in close collaboration with the pilot-lead, Copenhagen Municipality.

The outcome (we hope) will be:

  • the development, documentation and demonstration of strategies, approaches and solutions for regeneration of neglected industrial historic sites and areas into locally productive, sustainable and inclusive hubs.
  • the shaping of new socio-economic and sustainable identities of industrial historic sites based on their artisanal and/or industrial tradition, current practice and resources.
  • the fostering of social inclusion and economic growth in European cities through reappreciation of craftsmanship culture and inclusion of heritage aspects as drivers for innovation.
  • the rethinking of the way cities govern resources by connecting the economic with the educational and research sector, the public bodies and civil society. (new socio-economic entrepreneurship).

The project has just initiated, so there is no site to link to yet, but watch this space or my social media feeds for updates. In the mean time check out the Fab City whitepaper, which outlines the overall global vision that the CENTRINNO effort is embedded in.

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