<p> 'Europe for Citizens Programme' 2007-2013</p><p>Minutes of SINERGI Final Conference 18-20 November, 2015 Skopje, Macedonia</p><p>SINERGI-Social Inclusion through Urban Growth Strategies Programme Europe for Citizens; Measure 1.2. Networks of twinned towns</p><p>1. SINERGI Final Conference - Day 1 (18.04.2016)</p><p>Chairmen: Ognen Marina, Meri Kostovska (Skopje) Place: Conference Hall, Hotel Bushi - Skopje Attendants: (68) Delegation from City of Zagreb (4 persons), Delegation from Turin (7 persons), Delegation from Lisbon (8 persons), participants from Skopje (49 participants from City of Skopje, Faculty of Architecture, NGO members and students) </p><p>1.1. Welcome and Agenda of the Conference - The participants of SINERGI Final Conference in Skopje have been welcomed by Mr. Koce Trajanovski Mayor of the City of Skopje, Mrs. Meri Kostovska, Head of the Unit for international cooperation – City of Skopje, Mr. Aleksandar Janakieski Head of the Urban Planning Department of City of Skopje, Prof. Minas Bakalchev, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Prof. Ognen Marina, PhD, Faculty of Architecture. </p><p>1.2 Opening of the Conference - Mrs. Meri Kostovska welcomed all the participants on the Final Conference in Skopje and emphasized the importance and objectives of this final event within the SINERGI project. She invited the Mayor of the City of Skopje, Mr. Koce Trajanovski, to address to the attendants. The Mayor emphasized the importance of the SINERGI project in promoting and accomplishing EU knowledge and exchange of experiences during all project activities that greatly affect the process of social integration and the development of strategies for urban social development in the four partner cities of the project SINERGI. Furthermore, the SINERGI project, through its project activities, has actually created a complex web of stakeholders and enabled a broader perception of a modern city. He agreed that this was a successful project that is beneficial for all of us. - Mrs. Kostovska welcomed Mr. Aleksandar Janakieski Head of the Urban Planning Department of City of Skopje, who also welcomed the participants from other partner cities and agreed that during these days the participants will have the opportunity to debate the role and responsibilities of cities, i.e., city administrations, experts, universities, as well as civil society organizations, on topics related to urban development. - Mrs. Kostovska welcomed Prof. Minas Bakalchev, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, to address and welcome the participants. He emphasized his pleasure to be part of the project and the importance of the diversity of the project partners for SINERGI project and their active and successful cooperation for these 2 years through different project activities, meetings and workshops every city partner in the project. </p><p>- Prof. Ognen Marina, PhD, Faculty of Architecture welcomed all participants and wished them a pleasant stay in Skopje. He made short review of the project activities in the past 2 years and announced the high importance of inclusivity/exclusivity of the cities which was the main theme of the Final Conference in Skopje. He expressed his gratitude for the great interest shown by the participants, who have sent more than 40 abstracts for this Conference. He announced the Keynote session 1 and the keynote speaker Dr. Panos Mantziaras, Director of Fondation Braillard Architectes (Geneva, Switzerland) to open the session. </p><p>1.3. Start of the Conference – Keynote Session 1 – speaker Dr. Panos Mantziaras, Director of Fondation Braillard Architectes – Geneva, Switzerland - Dr. Panos Mantziaras opened the keynote session 1 and addressed to the audience with the presentation “Next year won’t be any year..”. </p><p>1.4. Working session 1: Democratic tools for public development processes - Dr. Alessandro Armando from the University Politecnico di Torino opened the Working session 1 and announced Mr. Joao Cabral from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon to address to the participants with his presentation entitled “The inclusive city as the new urban question and the challenges for urban policies and planning”. Furthermore, presentations within the Working session 1 were the following: - Mr. Jovan Ivanovski was next presenter with his presentation entitled “City in transition – emergence of inclusiveness in housing design”, a case study on Skopje.</p><p>- Mrs. Snezana Domazetovska was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Examining Skopje’s traffic policies in terms of transportation equity”.</p><p>- Mr. Michele Vianello was next presenter with his presentation entitled “Possibilities for community engagement in the Macedonian planning system, the case of Novo Maalo and Mirce Macan, Skopje”.</p><p>- Mr. Stefano Pensa from Turin was next presenter with his presentation entitled “Inclusive processes: concepts and instruments for supporting the understanding of spatial issues”, in order to show the tools that we use in SINERGI project.</p><p>- Mrs. Caterina Quaglio was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Game theory and urban decision making problem”.</p><p>During the Q&A session, after the presentations from the Working session 1, Mrs. Ana Magdic from Zagreb asked Mr. Michele Vianello is there any kind of Committee or any other tool which will do monitoring and evaluation on the opinions, and how would you decide which opinions will you implement and which you will not. And she also stated that if everything goes right we acknowledge the society as a good planner, but she wanted to know if something goes wrong who he will call the planner responsible for this. Mr. Vianello answered the question from his own experience being involved in community engagement in East Africa with NGOs. Their approach was extreme in a way that experts and technicians were part of the community decisions. They were working on the margins and this was frustrating experience for them. You can train the people to understand the problems, but it is anyhow hard for them to find the proper solution. There is also problem with justice. When you are in contexts with very poor democratic inclusion, this is in his opinion the main problem in Macedonia. Mr. Joao Cabral asked a question regarding the property ownership is it part of the privatization program or is it part of residence association. He also agrees on the idea of shared space as it was in London’s case but agrees that it is very difficult to implement. Prof. Ognen Marina answered to Mr. Cabral that it is all about learning how to share space because this transition from social experience through the free market economy has radicalized the perception of the property. Suddenly everything has become owned by somebody and everybody was protecting this property. And we are talking about how the free market request was put before and promoted by the private developer in order to fulfill everybody’s wish. This led us to completely disregard the “big picture” by fulfilling some personal needs and ruining the collective needs and quality of living together. It is also impossible to build a city starting from a parcel, from every citizen needs and opinions. You have to have a bigger image in front of you, you have to have a vision on how to proceed.</p><p>1.5. Keynote Session 2 – speaker Dr. Francesca Frassoldati (School of Architecture, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China) Dr. Francesca Frassoldati opened the keynote session 2 and addressed to the audience with the presentation “Shaping the possible city – Between the choice and chance”. The presentation was an insight of conceptual and different urban planning concept. </p><p>After the presentation Prof. Ognen Marina wanted to know the opinion of Dr. Frassoldati whether we can contemplate and develop the process of fragmentation as a concept of development or at least intervention in our cities. Dr. Frassoldati answered that this was something that she tried to elaborate because it is a very interesting perspective. Looking at fast transformation is necessary dimension that we have to consider. She pointed out that the highest level of institutional government tried to hold tightly in their hands the infrastructural development. The infrastructural development can guide and address the city transformation. In this framework we have many relatively independent compounds and sometimes a firm or a group of people defines the transformation. Anyway, this is not always a good direction if the independent player makes our city. Furthermore, Dr. Frassoldati elaborated that the city of 21st century is a real fragmentation and the key is large scheme organization for urbanization. And if we consider the world we live in as majority of urban places, we have to think about small portions or fragments. 1.6. Working session 2: The right to the City, a promising concept for the transformation of urban policies and practices - Mr. Joao Cabral from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon, announced Prof. Isabel Raposo to address to the participants with her presentation entitled “Marginal urban areas: a new global phenomenon claims new ways of thinking and intervening”.</p><p>Furthermore, presentations within the Working session 2 were the following: - Mrs. Silvia Jorge was next presenter with her presentation entitled “The right to the City and interdicted places: The pericentral self-produced neighborhoods of Maputo”.</p><p>- Mrs. Chiara Massimino was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Skopje. In need of alternatives. Investigations and scenarios.”</p><p>- Mrs. Kinga Kimic from Poland was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Green projects in participatory budgets – inclusive initiatives for creating city’s top quality public spaces”. This is Warsaw case study.</p><p>- Mrs. Divna Pencic was next presenter, representing her group, with the presentation entitled “Contemporary urban planning models in Skopje and their impact on the green areas”. </p><p>- Mrs. Martina Jakovcic was the last presenter for the day with the presentation entitled “Green spaces in the City – Places of inclusiveness and social cohesion: Example of the City of Zagreb”.</p><p>During the Q&A session, after the presentations from the Working session 2, were given some examples on quality public spaces, greenery in public spaces in the city of Zagreb and Warsaw, and also the planning of the public spaces and the participatory budget for those plans realization. </p><p>The Day 1 workshop has concluded at 19:00. </p><p>After the Workshop 1, the SINERGI project participants and some of the other participants came to the opening of the “Center of four Cities – Skopje, Turin, Zagreb and Lisbon” located in Skopje center. The Mayor of the City of Skopje, Mr. Koce Trajanovski, accompanied by the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Republic of Macedonia, H.E. Mr. Ernesto Massimino Bellelli opened the Center of four cities. The Mayor expressed his great honor of being the host of this event as a result of the great successful cooperation of the four cities within the project SINERGI and also in the future.</p><p>Within this event was also promoted the Book One “Project for an Inclusive City”. 2. SINERGI Final Conference - Day 2 (19.04.2016)</p><p>Chairman: Ognen Marina (Skopje) Place: Conference Hall, Hotel Bushi – Skopje Attendants: (62) Delegation from City of Zagreb (4 persons), Delegation from Turin (7 persons), Delegation from Lisbon (8 persons), participants from Skopje (43 participants from City of Skopje, Faculty of Architecture, NGO members and students)</p><p>2.1. Start of the Conference – Keynote Session 3 – speaker Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek (Department of Architecture, TU Delft, The Netherlands) Prof. Ognen Marina opened the Working session 3 and announced Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek to address to the audience with his lecture “Complexities and simultaneities: on (the mapping of) in/exclusive border conditions”. After the presentation Prof. Ognen Marina wanted to know the opinion of Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek and what happens when the border is not just a physical object and it is rather a condition, and this condition becomes a permanent situation. This question arises from the situation in Skopje where we have a situation of spatial and social borders that create the complexity of the everyday life. Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek answered that it is true once a boarder is settled it becomes very difficult to get rid of it what makes them a permanent objects, but there is still a dialogue and a daily practices that can make some possible changes.</p><p>Prof. Alessandro Armando Politecnico di Torino recalled of the lecture of Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek and asked him about the mapping that can be in generally considered or represent a practice or relationship and particularly the architecture as a way of activating spatial analysis. What does he think about the architects as producers of borders and the power of design about production of borders? Dr. Mark Schoonderbeek answered that the architects are responsible for producing the borders and they have the power to design the city projects and the city development.</p><p>2.2. Working session 3: Contemporary re-currents: Architectural monuments for the civic society - Dr. Slobodan Velevski from the Faculty of Architecture, University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, announced Prof. Minas Bakalcev to address to the participants with the presentation entitled “Exclusive Cities Inclusive Buildings”. </p><p>Furthermore, presentations within the Working session 3 were the following: - Mrs. Marija Mano Velevski was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Urban villas or the valences of the Micro-city: Case study Skopje”.</p><p>- Mrs. Ana Ivanovska Deskova was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Inclusiveness as urban and architectural concept, the case of post-earthquake renewal of Skopje”.</p><p>- Mr. Davide Vero from Turin was next presenter with his presentation entitled “Urban ageing”. At the end of the Working session 3, Dr. Slobodan Velevski synthesized the presentations. The presentation of Prof. Minas Bakalcev was about planning and visions of the city with the actual life into the buildings. That was put in the framework of the recent actualization of space. The presentation of Prof. Ana Ivanovska Deskova was referring to the post-earthquake renewal of Skopje. She put the accent on the concept of inclusiveness within the experience of the growing city of Skopje after the earthquake, showing very precisely the architectural aspects of that growth and how architecture could refer to certain idea for growth. The presentation of the third presenter Prof. Marija Mano Velevski was showing an idea how architecture could become a strategy for city building. Questioning the idea on a scale, weather the city can be designed as a broaden territory but also as a territorial fragments that could be recognized as a territory from which it could depart the further growth. The last presentation of Mr. Davide Vero from Turin was reflecting the phenomenon of urban ageing and actually has opened some questions about ageing of urban population with the aspects of spatial organization but also inclusiveness of exclusiveness of these groups of inhabitants. </p><p>2.3. Working session 4: (In) Exclusion, Diversity and conviviality in the local scale - Prof. Maria Manuela Mendes from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon, opened the working session 4 and addressed to the participants with her presentation entitled “The Mouraria Quartier and Intendente in Lisbon: from infamous neighboured to a cosmopolitan place”. </p><p>Furthermore, presentations within the Working session 4 were the following: - Mr. José Luís Crespo was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Neighborhoods and priority Areas for intervention program (BIP/ZIP) in Lisbon: some limits and potentials”. - Mr. Vladimir Ladinski was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Integration of people with Dementia in the built environment: the UK approach”. - Mr. Bojan Karanakov was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Accessibility as exclusivity”. - Mrs. Zsofia-Hannemann-Tamas was next presenter with her presentation entitled “International students – Included or excluded social groups”.</p><p>- Mrs. Jelena Djekic was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Quality of life in urban studies and planning practice”. </p><p>- Mr. Gonzalo Folgado was next presenter with the presentation entitled “Citizens in projects, City as process”.</p><p>- Mr. Jorge Nicolau was next presenter with the presentation entitled “The inclusive city – the neighborhood as urbanity promoter”.</p><p>- Mrs. Joana Pestana Lages was next presenter with her presentation entitled “Questioning equality. Insights from a communitarian kitchen of a deprived informal neighborhood in Almada”.</p><p>The Day 2 workshop has concluded at 18:00. 3. SINERGI Final Conference – Extended Steering Committee Meeting Day 3 (20.11.2015)</p><p>Chairman: Meri Kostovska (Skopje) Place: Conference Hall, Hotel Bushi – Skopje Attendants: (40) Delegation from City of Zagreb (4 persons), Delegation from Turin (5 persons), Delegation from Lisbon (8 persons), participants from Skopje (23 participants from City of Skopje, Faculty of Architecture – Skopje)</p><p>3.1. Report by the SINERGI Project coordinator and Financial Report - Mrs. Meri Kostovska and Mrs. Snezana Mitrevska presented every project activity that has been already done and what is pending until the end of the project, from both coordinative and financial aspects. Every project activity and event was presented in detail showing the partner’s status and pending activities.</p><p>3.2. Report by the SINERGI Project scientific coordinator - Prof. Ognen Marina presented the finding of all the past project activities and the results.</p><p>3.3. Report by the SiTi (Use of InViTo) - Dr. Stefano Pensa from Turin presented the developed tool InViTo in practice for the audience.</p><p>3.4. Final Conference: Conclusions Prof. Ognen Marina had expressed on behalf of all participants and his gratitude to all the participants at the Final Conference in Skopje for all their contribution and effort during the project, to the members of the Skopje organization team and hosting institutions City of Skopje and Faculty of Architecture in Skopje, UKIM and the partners in the project City of Zagreb, City of Lisbon and City of Turin. He also expressed his pleasure of the possibility to cooperate with the experts from these cities and he emphasized the importance of future cooperation after the end of this project. This cooperation can continue through the joint result from the SINERGI project – The Urban Center of four cities in Skopje.</p><p>- The chairman had closed the workshop working session of Day 3 at 12.00 </p>