Looking back to 2024

2024 was a very special year for MKBT—this spring, we celebrated 10 years of activity. On this occasion, we took the time to reflect on this decade in a comprehensive report, reflect on the lessons learned, reconsider our mission in the worlds we operate in, and make a big change: we have a new website!

Amidst all this, we continued our projects or started new ones, expanded and diversified our national and international networks, deepened relationships with local organizations, and contributed our expertise and local insights at international conferences.

Here’s a brief overview of our work in 2024, followed by a few content recommendations to explore over the winter holiday.

Bolster

We supported the implementation of community projects designed by civic groups formed by young people (in Urlați) and mothers (in the informal settlement of Mimiu, Ploiești), contributing to a more just transition in the Prahova region, in line with their vision.
We shared insights on how young people can be empowered to become agents of change in their communities, based on our work in Urlați, at the Learnings / Unlearnings conference in Stockholm.
We were invited as speakers at two BOLSTER regional policy dialogue events, focusing on the experiences of Romania and Bulgaria in engaging marginalized groups in the just transition. Additionally, at the RSA (Regional Studies Association) Annual Conference, we discussed local narratives around the just transition in Prahova and how the meanings we assign to a process influence both the ability and willingness to become agents of change within it.
As speakers and facilitators, we contributed to the participatory session “Should I stay or should I go?” at the European Week of Regions and Cities, fostering discussions on what makes a small town attractive in the context of the just transition and beyond.

ReInd

We organized the “Open Doors Day at the Mociur-Triaj-Valea Țerovei site”, allowing residents of Reșița of all ages to (re)discover the industrial past of the area and explore its future development prospects. In the coming years, we will collaborate with the Reșița City Hall to shape a vision and create synergy for the urban regeneration of this zone. Additionally, we supported organizations around six other industrial sites in the Danube basin in organizing similar events.
We conducted four training sessions for public authorities involved in the regeneration of industrial sites along the Danube, as part of the project’s international consortium. These sessions covered how to prepare abandoned industrial sites for investments and investors, how to engage local communities in urban regeneration processes, how to analyze brownfield sites, and how to organize Open Doors events to connect local communities to site revitalization efforts.
We also visited and learned from two large-scale urban regeneration projects in Vienna.

Parcul Natural Văcărești

We have started supporting the Văcărești Natural Park Association in designing and implementing a methodology and process to engage the community and other stakeholders in the preservation and promotion of five urban natural areas in Bucharest.
We had work meetings and consultations around the Băneasa Forest, contributing to a strategic direction for biodiversity in the city’s planning documents and supporting the association’s strategic planning process for the next 10 years.

Heritage Stewardship Support Program (HSSP)

“Open! – A Capacity-Building and Mentorship Program for the Revitalization of Latent Built Heritage.”

We launched “Open!” with seven organizations selected through a dedicated call, working together to define a vision, develop a revitalization strategy, and create an actionable plan to bring it to life.
We conducted field visits to all seven organizations to gain an in-depth understanding of their environments, heritage typologies, and working styles, and to meet their partners and collaborators.
We organized a heritage interpretation camp with Valya Stergioti, which we wrote more about here (RO only): https://mkbt.ro/news-item/interpretarea-de-patrimoniu-principii-ganduri-si-tabara-de-invatare/

Latent/Emergent Community of Practice

We organized two learning and exchange sessions on: 1) How we use social network analysis to illustrate and strengthen the power of collaboration. 2) The archive as a living resource in the collective imagination of the future.
Both sessions are available here: https://mkbt.ro/resource/latent-emergent-sesiuni-deschise/.
Our community has grown to over 60 members, and our sessions are attracting more and more participants from outside the core network. Moving forward, we plan to involve the community more actively in organizing sessions, suggesting learning topics, and inviting speakers.

The Fantastic Funicular

Ne-am dorit să aducem conversația despre transformarea Reșiței mai aproape de oameni, în stradă. Am organizat Fantasticul Funicular: Ultimul an în straie vechi, un eveniment în format Street Delivery dedicat funicularului, înainte de renovare și conversie într-un nou spațiu de promenadă.
Alături de UrbanEye Film Festival am creat dialog și apropiere cu și între oameni, folosind pentru asta impulsuri diferite: intervenții în spațiul public pentru a-l (re)da oamenilor și filmul ca pretext pentru reflecție despre timpurile prin care trece orașul.
Am colaborat cu o mulțime de parteneri locali, regionali și naționali, printre care: Muzeul Cineastului Amator, D. Proiect, Fundația Comunitară Banatul Montan, Bike Attack, We Wilder, UrbanEye Film Festival, Salonul de Artă și Industrie și, nu în ultimul rând, Primăria Reșița.