Cozyplace: Co-management of a Co-designed Place
Reversing the decline of youth using the library and developing their sense of shared ownership.
The Local Challenge
After the pandemic, many cultural and public institutions needed to re-think their operations as audience behaviour shifted. This library is updating its space to accommodate changes and to encourage the younger generation to make the library their own cultural space. Pallanza is working together with public and private entities to coordinate their efforts, including cultural organisations, local bookshops and publishers, social and health agencies, and primary and secondary schools.
The Initiative
This partnership is building a new cultural space aimed at young people between 11 and 15 years old by directly involving them in creating a new cultural library space. The library’s own research showed that young users did not feel represented by local cultural institutions, including their public library. This initiative launched a co-design process to create a blueprint design for the city to implement. Young people and professionals are designing the layout and furnishing of the new space and the way it is going to be managed, ensuring that the young people play an active role in future governance.
What’s Next?
Their long-term goals include making sure the library is a key instrument for stimulating cultural growth, education, training and leisure time. Their belief is that being an active part of a cultural life nurtures community development. Additionally giving the space and ownership to young people in the city may invite more teenagers to feel they have something of worth where they live, helping to discourage young people’s relocation to larger cities.
Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
