Views from Desire's partners

This working white paper addresses the urgent need for transformative changes in how we develop built environments to mitigate climate change. It highlights the critical state of the European carbon budget and outlines strategic pathways for Europe, particularly Northern European nations, to lead global efforts in reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption. Dark Matter Labs has developed the white paper as part of Desire. 

Learn more in Desire's news article and see the full report in the PDF link

PDF 

How do we make the green transition acceptable, desirable and irresistible for young people, adults and the elderly? ART could perhaps be part of the answer. CHART (a nonprofit organisation – and a leading Nordic art fair) has helped us to understand how art can play a role in the new circular society and the changes required in the green transition. In this podcast, Director Julie Quottrup Silbermann explains the power of art.

Listen to the podcast here

In this very first episode is the woman at the core of the Garden Caretakers in Herlev and utilizer of the being of place idea, Madeleine Kate McGowan of the NXT communication and innovation bureau.

This podcast series is produced by project partner DTU Compute, Denmark - Journalist Søren Bjørn-Hansen. Music by Per Worm.

Listen to the podcast here

In a new blog post, Jenny Andersson from the Desire expert organization The Really Regenerative Centre, CIC argues that we need to change our approach to working with living systems. She suggests that we need to be more humble and respectful and that we need to listen to the wisdom of the system. Jenny also emphasizes the importance of being open to new ideas and staying humble in our pursuit of a more regenerative future.

Read Jenny's blog here

In Riga, the Desire an Irresistible Circular Society project is facing the biggest local challenge we have here: Changing the mentality of the people, to make them realize they are not just users living in a place where a central system deals with everything, but that they can actively engage in and create their own city – their own home.

Have a look at the new Desire film with our partner Riga municipality, Rudis Rubenis and Ieva Zībārte, Representative of the municipalities department Rigas Buildings.

The filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.

Watch the film on YouTube

How do we engage the young people in the green transition? One way could be a hackathon like the one arranged at the Desire demonstration site BTC City Ljubljana in Slovenia. As a part of the Desire project, the younger generation is asked to develop ideas for shaping the green future of BTC City Ljubljana, one of Europe’s largest shopping, business, and leisure centres. Back in February, the Slovenia Desire partners, BTC and CER - Sustainable Business Network arranged a hackathon with Generation Z. Have a look at the Desire film, created by Benjamin Hesselholdt.

The MIND Milano Innovation District, located 15 minutes from Milan’s heart, is transforming into a vast innovation and science hub. Spanning over 1 million square meters, it aims to create a sustainable “city within the city.” Now four minor yellow benches have moved in to serve as symbols of inclusivity, fostering a sense of community for the daily visitors. Have a look at the Desire film from MIND Innovation District, created by filmmaker Benjamin Hesselholdt.

Wildemanbuurt in Amsterdam, Netherlands is a neighbourhood often depicted negatively. However, inhabitants are determined to change this narrative. The Desire project is powered by the energy of this community.

The work at our Desire site in Amsterdam Wildemanbuurt started with a workshop where everyone was invited to share their dreams, and after that meeting citizen groups were formed.

“We try to work with what is there and nurture good ideas, foster new relationships. In the end, it's really about agency and working together to create a new neighbourhood from a place of trust,” says Rosalie Bak, Community Builder and Social Designer for the Desire partner Stichting Samenwonen-Samenleven.

Have a look at the new Desire film and meet also the youngsters from Young Osdorp United that are making videos and photography to tell great stories from the area.

The filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.

Watch the video on YouTube

Desire - Designing the irresistible circular society is a part of the EU initiative New European Bauhaus.

Our partner in Herlev, Denmark NXT has introduced a new character ‘The Garden Caretaker’ to help reconcile the city with nature.

Watch the video on YouTube and meet:

- Madeleine Kate McGowan from NXT
- Peter Andreas Sattrup from NCC
- Georg Jagunov
- Arendse Krabbe

The video was created by Benjamin Hesselholdt.

The social housing area Gadehavegaard, 20 km from the centre of Copenhagen, will be transformed in the coming years. As a part of that, a parking lot will be changed to a green urban space for the citizens. The Desire partner the building administration Domea.dk has invited two 8th grade classes to give ideas for the urban space.

The students have had free rein to think new things, and some unique proposals have come out of this.

Watch the video on YouTube and meet:

• Lisbeth Engelbrecht Nielsen, Project Manager at Domea.dk
• Kåre Stokholm Poulsgaard, Head of Innovation at GXN
• Alberto Roncelli, Circular Design Specialist, GXN
• Pia v Benzon, Chairwoman of the DFB Resident Board
• And young people from the local Ole Rømer School and representatives from Høje-Taastrup Kommune (the municipality).

The filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.

How can humans reconnect with nature? Together with project partners and the locals, we experiment with this as part of the Desire project in the northern part of the city of Turin – at Cascina Falchera, an old farmhouse owned by the Municipality of Turin and run by the social cooperative, Consorzio Kairòs.

Cascina Falchera works on developing a biodiversity hub, where people can explore and experiment with their connection with nature. Among the activities are water-saving camps for young people. We visited one of them. Have a look at the film on YouTube and ...

Meet:

• Domenica Moscato, Desire Project Manager
• Nicoletta Daldanise, Community Engagement Coordinator
• Giorgia Curtabbi, PhD student in Design and Inhabitant of Falchera neighbourhood

The filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.

How can we create sustainable, attractive, and inclusive urban spaces? Together with project partners and the locals, we experiment with this as part of the Desire project in Kalundborg, Denmark. In recent years, the city has witnessed growth in the biotech industry and the relocation of universities to the area. Now, the city aims to kickstart urban development by collaborating with its citizens to envision new possibilities.

Watch the film on YouTube and ...

Meet:

• Flemming Overgaard, Royal Danish Academy, Project Manager for Desire
• Brian Hilding Lamhauge, Skaberzonen and The Phoenix Group
  
• The filmmaker is Benjamin Hesselholdt.
  

Our mutual global challenge is clear. We are exceeding the planetary boundaries and our planet is suffering. So, we act now by creating a movement that breaks with our traditional linear approach and traditional ways of thinking, collaborating and acting.

How? Have a look at our short intro film on YouTube about Desire, created by Benjamin Hesselholdt.

Desire - Designing the irresistible circular society is a part of the EU initiative New European Bauhaus.

In Desire, our partner 3XN/GXN and sub contractor AGORA have produced a toolkit based on their involvement with Domea.dk in Gadehavegaard, Denmark and with kids from 8-grade classes at a local school. Learn more and download it for free

Our Walk App is a digital tool that enables participatory research about a place or a city under transformation. We use it to engage citizens, stakeholders and local communities in the data-collection, idea generation and co-design of cities and neighbourhoods. Learn more

New European Bauhaus in the Nordics – what have we learned, how can we benefit from this knowledge, and what can we potentially develop further? See the video and slides from the first of two webinars, arranged by the two Nordic-coordinated New European Bauhaus lighthouse projects, NEB-STAR and Desire - on the 5th of March 2024. Click on the names below to open the PDF. 

- Madeleine Kate McGowan, NXT/Herlev (Desire) – The Garden Caretaker concept: How does art create value for developers and construction companies?

- Helene Eiliott, Stavanger Municipality (NEB-Star) - NEB-STAR: connecting people and places - exploring relational aesthetics in urban development

- Amalia de Götzen, AAU (Palimpsest) - The Palimpsest project: experimenting and envisioning novel landscape scenarios through co-creation

Watch the video - on YouTube