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Georgia

Documentary is about the German colonial heritage in Bolnisi formerly called Katharinenfeld that among other colonies was founded in the Caucasus in 1818 by 95 colonists from Swabia. Film documents cobblestone roads that swabs meticulously made and till today is preserved in some of the house yards in Bolnisi.

Albania

Contemporary urban life plays in fast-forward. People use public space mainly as a medium to get from place to place, not as a destination. They practically share the space with each other, but they rarely use it to connect. That lack of connection creates alienation that ends up in exclusion. What would happen if we could simply pause for a moment and connect with what surround us and actually experience the space and the people in it? Wouldn't it be nice to meet you?

United Kingdom

Ilford is a diverse and growing neighbourhood of London. Access to green and public spaces in the heart of Ilford however, is greatly compromised. According to the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation, it features amongst the 10% most deprived areas for access to high quality local living environment. Wilderness Street is a temporary living urban landscape which was installed in Oakfield Road in Ilford in 2022, launching the town centre as a cultural destination at London's north-eastern fringe. Before large-scale urbanisation started from the C19, the Ilford, Barkingside and Hainault area was characterised by forests, fields and meadows. Our design strategy seeks to temporarily revive these lost landscapes. We have selected Uphall Camp Beacon, the former Royal Forest of Hainault and the Essex Grazing Marshes as blueprints for plant species and landscape character to be replicated by our proposal for Oakfield Road. The project advocates for the preservation of ancient natural landscapes and their role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting well-being. The legacy strategy will see all planting including trees and shrubs given away to community organisations and Ilford residents at the end of the project. Enticing local people to adopt the plants will see elements of the ancient Essex landscape re-instated in public places in Ilford, in peoples gardens, front gardens, planters and allotments.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s education culture is built in a way that after graduation from high school those who are capable of having to move to Baku for university education and eventually to start a “better” life there. It is mostly because, unfortunately, there are not many opportunities for young people in the other districts of the country and the decentralization process is very slow in the regions. The situation makes many young people leave their life behind and start a new beginning in a huge and gray city. Many things do not translate the same when you move from a district where life is slower, nature is beautiful and green, people are kinder and know each other and most importantly there is a sense of community around the neighborhood you used to live in. In return, Baku is very hectic, the weather is toxic, people always rush somewhere and the high buildings and city infrastructure leave you with minimum contact with people and nature. Most women who have mental health problems such as general anxiety and depression find it hard to adapt to a new toxic environment. Most women also feel more insecure about their safety and security in Baku due to the higher chances of harassment compared to the regions. The sense of being a “stranger” to a big city you newly moved in also adds up to the general anxiety and mental health problems. Some spaces help to relax and find peace such as the shore of the Caspian Sea. However, it is getting increasingly crowded and dirtier every other day. Conditions in the country leave many young people with little to no choice but to move to the capital city at some point in their lives. The city design with its many problems from transport to overpopulation makes it hard for most to adapt.

Georgia

InBetween This film idea came to mind after going through different concepts. I kept coming back to one idea that I hadn’t fully understood but had in the back of my mind through the concept development. At some point during the night, in-between ideas and sketches I figured out what it was - what I wanted to say by creating the film.  Many public spaces exist in the city, but they are hidden by some constraints. They are not easily reachable or popular, but they exist. I believe if we look deep enough, we will discover them and enjoy their existence. We do not have to create a new one, instead, we can re-create what already exists.  ‘Is there a single correct interpretation of space and place?’ (Ali Madaripur)

Denmark

This short documentary intends to investigate the eye of the "outsiders" of the city, particularly those, as the hostel guests, who live the city only for a short period of time. This temporarity however, and outer perspective allow them to provide important considerations about the city as well as on how inclusive design could be interpreted, hence improved.