What We Strive For
Public Spaces Program will support places for neighboursFive interesting projects have been supported by 5,000 Euros from Public Spaces Program 2010. In Banská Bystrica, Bátovce (Levice district), Borinka (Malacky district), Hrušov (Rožňava district), and Volkovce (Zlaté Moravce district) the people obtained an opportunity to renew their public spaces into nice and safe places. The sixth year of Public Spaces Program was opened by Ekopolis Foundation in the cooperation with our long-term partner ČŠOB - Financial Group. Before deadline, Ekopolis Foundation obtained 28 applications from the whole Slovakia in an amount of 136,000 Euros. The topic of this year is "the renovation of the public spaces to increase the life quality of inhabitants - neighbours". "The finalists, who presented their applications by means of personal presentations, were very equal and offered the projects of very good quality.The very interesting fact of this year is the increased number of the applications from the groups, whose basic activity is not the improvement of the environment. For example, seniors from Volkovce will renew a park in the center of the village. Similarly, in Bátovce near Levice there will be treated a neglected garden by the actors from the Theatre Pôtoň", as Martina Paulíková, a program manager of Ekopolis Foundation, explained. In Banská Bystrica the inhabitants group plans to renew a space between blocks of flats in Sásová and to replace an existing neglected playground. The people will create places for relax and free time for different groups of inhabitants. The theatre Pôtoň, a non-profit organisation from Bátovce (Levice district) will create an artistic garden near the house of culture. There should be placed a stage, benches, and a small playground. The garden will be used for cultural events. „Pajštúnsky rínek" (Pajštúnsky Market place) is the name of the project which was prepared by Pajštún C.A. (Malacky district). The result of the project will be a reconstructed space in the center of the village with the public park, the children corner and the space for the meetings with the information board for the forest park visitors. „Stage under the pears" will be created in Hrušov (Rožňava district). Civic Association Körtvélyes planned the treatment of the grassy area in the center of the village near municipal distillery and in the seat of the Kras Euroregion. The reconstructed space should serve for relax and entertainment. There will be a stage, benches and a simple summer house. The part of the change will be an outplanting of traditional pear species. In Volkovce (Zlaté Moravce district) there should be created a „Small park - a place for everybody". The association of the retired people decided to renew a neglected park in the oldest, historical part of the village and in the center near the brook to create a public space of free-time activities for everybody. The representatives of supported projects will meet on January, 21 - 23, 2010 in Senec at the training, where they will be informed about successful realisations of their projects.The final look of the spaces will be planned and proposed by the inhabitants in spring and before the end of 2010 the places should be arranged. The sixth year of Public Spaces Program 2010 is a part of activities of UrbSpace Project, which is realized with contribution of Central Europe Programme and financed by ERDF.
Public Spaces Program called „PrieStory" in Slovak was launched in 2005 as a brand new concept in Slovakia. It is based on the US program - Project for Public Spaces that has been adjusted to Slovak conditions. The program endeavors to reach two main goals. The first, more visible one, is to revitalize neglected public spaces and transform them into vital meeting places. The second goal, less visible, but very important from our point of view, is to involve people living in the neighborhood, in the surrounding blocks of flats or streets into the planning of this reconstruction. |
