Over 20 architecture students and local artists initiated an exploration of various Mahallas of Tashkent. They developed themes and concepts referring to the neighbourhood based on stories of the inhabitants, personal obersavations and its architectural vocabulary.

Among the topics examined were cultural heritage in architecture, personal mental mapping, the utilization of symbols in public spaces referencing the local cotton history, as well as the presentation of children’s urban fantasies and poetic urban statements. Even a song ‘Welcome to Tashkent’ has been produced by Sevara Nicole:

We would like to thank Maren Niemeyer and Lea Wölk and her team from the Goethe-Institut Usbekistan and all the participants for making this workshop happen. It was a pleasure to work with this enthusiastic group of participants.

Students from the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture at POLIS University in Tiranë embarked on an exploration of the Laknas neighbourhood. Students developed themes and concepts referring to the neighbourhood based on stories of the inhabitants, personal observations and its architectural vocabulary.

We would like to thank the Dutch Embassy in Tiranë, Valerio Perna and his team from the POLIS University and all the participants for making this workshop happen.

During a one week social design workshop creatives explored the area around Palia Sfagia (Παλιά Σφαγεία) in Thessaloniki. Design thinking, design skills, and public participation are key tools and drivers 
for this project. They are all used as 
a methodology to explore, analyze, 
visualize and respond to the neighbourhood life and its people. The workshop aims to encourage social change-makers within this community.

We would like to thank the Goethe-Institut Griechenland, LABattoir and the participants for making this workshop happen. LABattoir is a socially engaged 
machine for the production of culture; a laboratory of applied creativity that responds to society’s needs and problems introducing solutions and alternative strategies with the contribution of 
the artist as catalyst and the citizen as co-producer.

During the Beirut Design Week 2018 creatives explored the neighbourhoods of Beirut. The participants developed themes and concepts referring to the city based on social issues, personal experiences and its visual language. Design thinking, design skills, and public participation are key tools and drivers for this project. They are all used as the methodology to explore, analyze, visualize and respond to the neighbourhood’s life and its people. The workshop aims to encourage social change-makers within this community. Once sensitised to their social and cultural context, participants are encouraged to take an active and responsible role towards a complex urban environment they live and work in. The social design workshop is an initiative from andrews:degen, a research-based graphic design agency located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We would like to thank the Goethe-Institut in Beirut, the Beirut Design Week and Public Work Studio for making this workshop happen.

In our five days social design workshop participants from different neighbourhoods of Dakar explored local topics and stories. The participants developed themes and concepts referring to the neighbourhood based on social issues, personal experiences, and visual language. Additional texts are written by Oumar Sall. We are very grateful that the Goethe institute Senegal hosted and supported this project.