OurCluj Research
Publication
What if innovation prioritized well-being over economic growth or building trust over getting things done quickly? What if a different set of values began guiding urban innovations?
OurCluj is a novel approach to urban innovation that shifts the focus towards trust and care when creating change. Such a narrative needed an equally novel and imaginative design performance as well. For this purpose, we created a beautiful print edition containing OurCluj’s bright ideas that guide us on our way to innovation. The publication further explores the individual and collective goals of those who are actively seeking change and helping shape the face of future actions in a social context.
OurCluj is part of OurCity global initiative, stewarded by SDG Colab and funded by Fondation Botnar.
Client: SDG Colab and Fondation Botnar
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Photo credits: Tony Schnitter (publication), Roland Váczi (workshops)
Fonts in use: Corsa Grotesk by Typedepot, Thalweg by Ani Dimitrova
The way of implementing urban transitions grows in significance as cities, too, grow in size and importance. In 2019, a collective of activists and researchers with a wealth of experience started asking key questions about change and its focus. OurCluj began with a series of meetings and workshops and grew into a multi-sectoral laboratory focused on the well-being of residents.
The project operates under a VBULL arrangement or “Values-Based Urban Living Laboratory.” It details how considering trust and care as essential values and drivers of change is accomplished through three primary activities: imagining futures, reconciling the past, and sharing power. To better illustrate OurCluj’s efforts and research, we created a mapping system in the form of a multi-layered Venn diagram, one that’s visually connecting all stakeholders and participants.
It’s important to note that art and design don’t just have a representational role in this project. The book’s complemented by 12 full-colored posters aiming to activate the imagination and further catalyze important dialogues about innovation and communities.
