In 2023, an enriching journey concluded with the final international school of the European Union's Eureka Urban Innovation Program. Over the past year, this program has played a pivotal role in shaping a new perspective on the future of cities.
In collaboration with all the contributors involved, and thanks to all we have been able to share, develop, and implement, we have had the privilege of being the first generation trained to define what the future urban innovator should be. Throughout the program, the essential qualities, tasks, and responsibilities that an urban innovator must embody were defined. This process has not only provided us with the theoretical knowledge needed to bring these innovative proposals to life in new projects but also the practical skills required to implement them in the dynamic and complex field of urban innovation.
Transculturality, diversity, and adaptability
The international and multidisciplinary collaboration throughout this program has been essential for our collective and individual growth and learning. Thanks to this working experience, we have been able to demonstrate the great importance of adaptability and the ability to adopt diverse perspectives in our collective effort to shape the future of cities and improve the existing ones.
These valuable lessons highlight the need to embrace the diversity of ideas and approaches to address the complex challenges faced by urban areas and communities, which are in constant and growing evolution. As the renowned urban planner Jane Jacobs once said, "Cities have the charm of the unforeseen," which once again emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in urban design and planning.
For this reason, programs like "Urban Innovation" teach us to identify, understand, and navigate the complexities that may arise from transcultural collaborations, while also providing us with tools to make the most of the power of diverse and collective thinking. This is particularly relevant in today's world, where transculturality is inherent not only in the realms of education and business but also in social reality.
Moreover, we would like to highlight that this journey has reinforced a profoundly powerful idea: learning is a continuous process, and accepting and recognizing failures or the discrepancy between expected results and outcomes is often the most transformative, enriching, and powerful path toward growth.
Success cases that support this strong belief are projects like "CIVITAS," an initiative by the European Commission, have promoted collaboration between cities across Europe to implement sustainable mobility solutions. Considering the ever-changing nature of citizens' needs and technological evolution—which is now a constant—it emphasizes how continuous learning and adaptation are essential to addressing the evolving challenges of urban areas.
"Frame what marks you": A aroject with vision
Within the Spanish cluster, we integrate elements that contribute tangibly to enriching our cities and preserving their cultural identity.
"Frame What Marks You" stands as a collaborative virtual platform designed to enrich and preserve the living stories and memories of Erribera/Zorrotzaurre in Bilbao. This project challenges the official narrative of the area’s planned development and was conceived by the Spanish cluster, a multidisciplinary group that participated in the 2022 Urban Innovation Program.
In developing this innovative project, we explored the dynamic interaction between urban development, communities, and the preservation of historical narratives from Erribera/Zorrotzaurre in Bilbao.
Over the course of a year, we delved into the transformation of the area through various approaches, from documentary research to direct contact with local agents. We identified discrepancies between the official narrative that supports the new urban project and the stories, perceptions, and emotions shared by those living in the area.
To recover these narratives, we reached out to the island's inhabitants, inviting them first to draw on maps to express their views about the past, present, and future of the island. Then, we created a mobile frame to recover and frame the places where these stories occurred.
In the face of the planned changes for the area, our objective was to frame this alternative narrative, emphasizing that stories always have different narrators, and the version may vary according to time or the storyteller telling the tale.
Our creation for framing the stories consisted of constructing a portable wooden frame that we carried through the streets of Zorrotzaurre, accompanied by key questions for people from different communities: What is the story of your favorite place? Why? How do you imagine the island alternative to the official project?
In this way, we collected all the stories of special places for the Zorrotzaurre community and created an exhibition-style tour around the island. At each site, you will find an identification that allows you to read and listen to the stories, understand what these spaces represent, and explore the emotions people have shared with us.
Developing tools for new initiatives
Given everything we have shared so far, we consider a key initiative for cultivating skills related to urban design focused on emotional wellbeing would be the integration of emotional education into urban development projects.
Implementing emotional education in this context would provide urban design professionals and related sectors with the necessary tools to create urban environments that are aligned with and sensitive to the emotional aspects we have highlighted. In doing so, these professionals would not only be trained in the latest trends and technical knowledge but also in the importance of using emotional competencies and other skills to generate a positive social impact, foster cultural diversity, drive innovation, and improve overall wellbeing.
In conclusion, at INEEW, we advocate for the promotion of emotional education as an essential component in urban development. We firmly believe that this perspective will enrich not only the planning and execution of urban projects but also the quality of life of those living in these spaces. With this holistic vision, we hope to contribute to the flourishing of urban environments that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also emotionally resilient and in harmony with the needs and aspirations of the community.
Towards a sustainable and more inspiring future
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that the transformative journey undertaken through the Urban Innovator Eureka Program strengthens INEEW's commitment to social impact projects through urban and social innovation.
We extend our gratitude to all the teams that participated in this journey and confirm that, from INEEW, we are truly grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful projects in the continuous pursuit of collective learning and social innovation impact. Without a doubt, emotional wellbeing must be present as a transversal axis in actions and designs that affect human beings and their coexistence, and for this reason, it aligns with INEEW's mission.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the idea of delving deeper into understanding intercultural collaboration and continuing to explore teamwork in multidisciplinary settings, as we firmly believe that this direction is crucial for the future of urban design and social innovation projects.
For all these reasons, we are committed to continuing our work to ensure that the wellbeing of communities remains at the heart of all our initiatives, thus fostering cities that are not only innovative from a technological standpoint but also emotionally intelligent and sustainable.
Urban innovation and emotional wellbeing