REGIONAL INFORMATION:
Vychodne Slovensko / Slovakia

Description of the project

The open space area in "Sidlisko II Presov" is located in a housing district built in the late 1960s. The space was a typical example of a neglected area without relevant functions, with a low ratio of vegetation, problems of criminality (especially during night time), conflicts between car traffic and pedestrians, neglected and insufficient small architecture.

Based on the approved design, elaborated on the participatory way with local inhabitants, the square can be divided into four functional units:
o Entrance area of the square
o Area around the existing fountain
o Podium and meeting space in front of it
o Playground for children

Through the pilot project investment phase, the playground for children, greenery renewal, the small scale architecture (benches, cycle racks) and the new electro-infrastructure for public lighting was realized. Moreover the new traffic regulations solving the conflicts among pedestrian and cars have been applied. This renovated open public spaces will create the attractive leisure area for the district inhabitants, other adjacent city districts and whole Presov area.

Revitalised urban space will become a part of system of Presov city recreational space not only for the inhabitants of the housing district but the vicinity of the commercial complex will attract to this renewed open spaces much more inhabitants from the Presov city.

Transnational added value

Identification of the most acute problems in the areas of the environment; criminality prevention; accessibility aspects for community groups with specific needs with attention to movement safety; respecting the historical assets of the territory has been undertaken using the participatory approach.

City Presov pilot project realization will be the good example of investment strengthening the local natural environment.

A transnational added value will be in sharing experience and know how transfer in these fields:

• renewal of neigbourhoods with high density prefabricated blocks of flats

• methods of succesful public participation at planning and implementation
• Involvement of local communities and associations in empowering actions and cultural activities: 
• Support of the civil culture to let citizens understand the importance of the proper use of open spaces
• sustainable model of green recreational areas management
• systematic approach to pedestrian environment improvement and accessibility
• local natural and cultural heritage interpretation

Sustainability of the investment

Sustainability as long-term vision of space. At regional level the creation of such a green space will contribute to the creation of a relax area for inhabitants, essential for a sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation. At the local scale, the high quality urban space with the use functions for different users (children, parents, adolescents, elderly people, etc.) will attract the local inhabitants to spend their spare time outdoor which create closer relationship to the environment, as well as is creating the local community.

After the end of the project UrbSpace, the Municipality of Presov will be financially and technically responsible for the sustaining of the investment. The town unit responsible for the greenery areas – Municipal Authority for Roads and Greenery Management in Presov – will be responsible for the day-to- day technical maintenance of the open space. Attractiveness of nature at neighbourhood of intensive housing area is very important for citizens to their identification with place of living.. More attractive public space is more used and this means more safe and less costs of maintenance.

Foreseen impacts and leverage effect

The local inhabitants of Presov district II. will directly benefit from improvement of physical environment for leisure and sports adjacent to high density housing area. Revitalized urban space will become a part of system of Presov city recreational space not only for the inhabitants of the housing district but the vicinity of the commercial complex will attract to this renewed open spaces much more inhabitants from the Presov city.

Description

The selection of the Hnusta city for the purposes of this project was very clear, since during the socialist era Hnusta has been one of the most prosperous hard industry city in the region. Nowadays the city is experiencing recession. Still, a lot of old and abandoned socialist buildings can be found there. These buildings, as well as the socialist image of the city, may be used for the purposes of this project.

Memories are the only things that have remained for us from the socialist times. What kind of era was it for real? What kind of books did they read? What kind of food did they eat? What were the children playing with? What were they learning about? Who were the pioneers, what did the spartakiada look like, and what did they need „bony“ for? The answers to these questions are very well known to the older generation, but the young one does not know much about this period of our life. This was the reason why the Agency for Development of Gemer Region in Hnusta, through this pilot action project, decided to preserve the past for future generations.

The museum is located in the former amphitheatre in Hnúšta. The building was not used and became dilapidated in the past few years and it needed to be renovated. 

Activities

1. Workshops

Between January – August 2012 the Agency for the development of Gemer region organized workshops for the citizens of the town Hnúša and Gemer-Malohont region. The participants learnt about the life of people living more than 23 years ago. The lectures and presentations included themes such as ordinary life,culture, media, holidays, socialist symbols, education system and much more from the period of socialist time.

2. Special Workshops

The theme was the summary of the previous themes of which the most interesting were chosen – Spartakiade, socialist fashion and advertisement. The workshop was enriched not only with the performance of the soloists of the musical theatre HVARNA from St. Petersburg, Russia, but also with the exhibition and collection of new socialist artefacts.

3. Public Consultations

The Agency for the development of Gemer region organized the public consultation on 1st August 2012 which completed the series of workshops as a part of the pilot action implementation. The participants were acquainted with other steps of the pilot action implementation and were introduced the results of the market survey organized in Hnúša and Rimavská Sobota. Examples of good practices and the overview of socialist curiosities were introduced in the presentations. The attendees were acquainted with the project’s website and the databases found on the website.

4. Renovation work in the interior of the museum

The building of the former amphitheatre in Hnúša was unitilized and dilapidated in the past few years.The walls in the upper floor rooms, where the museum would be placed, needed to be scraped and painted. Subsequently, the rooms needed to be cleaned. In August, painting works were provided by an external employee – an expert. The expert prepared the list of activities and the schedule of works implemented until the end of August.

Results

The museum is housed in 3 rooms. It is designed to present a three bedroom apartment from the socialist times. In the lobby an old-fashioned “corner” with the phone and books is located. The kitchen is furnished not only with furniture, but with old domestic appliances as well – such as fridge, coffee maker, etc. The children’s room is full of toys, children magazines and books from the socialist times. In the living-room TV-set with a functional radio is located.

There will be a thematic exposition organized on various topics, such as culture, people, educational system, etc. The apartment is furnished with the furniture most of which was donated by local volunteers. The museum received approximately 100 various artefacts from the socialist era; the most interesting are the TV-set, historical pictures and toys. In the future Agency for Development of Gemer Region is planning to conduct lessons about human rights and the history of our region during socialism.