NEW URBAN TOPOLOGIES. Report on the District area in Mostar. ReCode District: Think Small!

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1 NEW URBAN TOPOLOGIES Report on the District area in Mostar ReCode District: Think Small!

2 Preface Färgfabriken Center for Art and Architecture with its Swedish partners is honored by the trust we have received to provide the city of Mostar with a brief summary of ideas and thoughts from the project New Urban Topologies that was executed in Mostar 7 9 November Färgfabriken wants to give some few brief comments on the conditions of the following report. New Urban Topologies Mostar is funded by the Swedish Institute in Stockholm and made possible by the invaluable assistance of the Swedish Embassy to Bosnia Herzegovina in Sarajevo. The project was implemented in close collaboration with local partners in Mostar with representatives from the City of Mostar, University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar, and Association of Local Democracy Agencies Mostar, among others. Participants in the program included city hall representatives, architects, urban planners, academics, artists, students and activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldavia, Macedonia, Latvia, the Nederlands, Egypt, and Sweden. Experiences from the seminar, the bus tour around the greater city and the walking tour in the urban quarter District were discussed in a concluding workshop. The result is five proposals for Mostar and District, summarized in this report. New Urban Topologies was implemented during a couple of short intense days. Hence the sketchy character of the report. The time gave no opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the complex challenges that exist in the city. We hope, however, that what came up during the discussions and workshop can inspire to some ideas that can be beneficial to the continued development of Mostar. We that participated look forward to any an opportunity to return to further develop ideas and analyzes and to contribute to a positive development of Mostar. The city has much potential but does also face challenges as reflected in this report. If there is interest, Färgfabriken would be pleased to jointly with representatives from the city of Mostar set up a strategy for continued constructive work, both regarding content and financially. Joachim Granit Creative Director, Färgfabriken Thomas Lundh Project Director, New Urban Topologies 1

3 Conclusions from the workshop Integration of District into the City District has been and is still in many ways a barrier in the city of Mostar. However, it has great potential to become the unifying core. In this process, a substantial effort has to be made to transform it to an integrated part of the surrounding city. It is also important that any changes made are implemented with the citizen s fully support. District already has many existing meeting points where people socialize, which is a great asset. As District has such a central location it could be the center of civic functions, as a main city library and a larger space for the The Youth Cultural Centre Abrašević. The high land value makes it possible to transfer funds from private investments to cover the costs of future public investments. Create more nodes for tourism, there are more potentials around Mostar than the Old Town. As for District the city is sitting on a very high value untapped resource. Create better access to the river bank. This is one potential node for tourism and would probably be very popular among the citizens. Turn the empty and unused plots into accessible ones. Let them give place for parks and cultural functions. This is the future challenge and one of District s large potentials. Work towards a change of the perception of District from former border to unifying area. The existing meeting points where people socialize are the strengths of District. These should be seen as valuable assets. The inhabitants of the area must support every change and solution for District. 2

4 The Boulevard of Dreams During the war, Bulevar Narodne Revolucije divided the city and the two sides from each other. What are the future potentials of this historically important road? The answer is that the boulevard not only has a functional quality that serves automobile traffic or is an infrastructure connection but could be an integral part of public life. By making the boulevard more pedestrian friendly and by focusing on the quality of public space, the boulevard could become a stage for social and cultural activities. In this scenario the regional heavy traffic would be diverted away from the boulevard and would run in the perimeter of the city. By performing these multiple interventions one would create a web of spaces that link public activities throughout the city. Bulevar Narodne Revolucije should not be seen only as a functional quality that serves automobile traffic or as an infrastructure connection but as an integral part of public life. The already existing pedestrian networks that tie together the historic district with the system of parks, cultural, commercial and recreational areas, east and west of the boulevard, should be expanded. The road should be perceived as a connective tissue for future possibilities for the young generation. Connect the bus station and the reopened old regional train station to new bike lanes and a new tram along the path of the historical tracks. By doing these multiple interventions one would create a web of spaces and functions that link public activities throughout the city and connect all neighborhoods. New nodes, paths and crossings over the boulevard would make it easier to walk from one site or neighborhood to another. 3

5 A Green Mindset The vacant plots in District, many fenced in, form barriers. They cut off movement patterns and are painful reminders of the past for many of Mostar s citizens. But unexploited spaces in such a central location are also a great assets. The same goes for the riverbank a barrier today but with the potential to be an accessible highly appreciated green space for inhabitants and visitors. The area should be made greener, with pocket parks and other green public spaces. The workshop team saw collisions in the built environment between the two confessions. You see the conflict and you feel it, they concluded. In order to gather people from the whole city to District one could initiate a community center for different groups to meet with contemporary art, a theater or similar cultural activities. the presently undeveloped areas. Renewing District would benefit all of Mostar as well as attracting tourists and investors. Avoid collisions in the built environment between the two confessions. Transform the riverbank! It has a lot of potential and could connect the different inhabitants of the city. Create a community center for different groups to meet with contemporary art, a theater or similar cultural activities. Make it easy and pleasant to move around by foot and on cycle. Opt for green areas and public spaces where people can meet, especially along the river and in 4

6 Meeting Points Strategies The character of the future public spaces must relate to the needs of people. Starting on a smaller scale, perhaps offering empty plots lots temporarily to cultural organizations and youth groups for art pavilions or community gardens, District could become a thriving and highly popular area. In Mostar there is a dynamic street life, and District is no exception. People do want to meet; they just lack enough spaces for it. As District already has a few public facilities there is already a good foundation for future development in this direction. What is now needed among other things are new nodes, paths and crossings over the boulevard. This would make it easier for inhabitants from the entire city to easily enter into District. The character of the future public spaces must relate to the needs of people. The safety using the public spaces must be taken into consideration. Especially the safety of women is important, they should feel safe walking in parks and squares at night too. As District is located in the middle of the city, not belonging to one specific group, it has great pre-requisites for gathering citizens. Transform the large empty areas around District into popular well-designed open spaces used by all citizens of Mostar. Spanish Square is a good example. Give young people and NGOs the opportunity to temporarily or permanently use abandoned plots and empty buildings, for art pavilions, community gardens or other types of cultural or communal activities. 5

7 Propeller of Creativity A democratic platform for urban development starts with people individuals, families and local cultural institutions, what we call the civil society. If given the chance, people will find solutions to community problems, they will demand policy changes, raise public awareness and increase participation and in the end create social harmony and a thriving democratic society. Thus, the starting point should be to think small capture people s creativity, invest in people, not big development projects that are many times corrupted or stop due to bureaucratic gridlock or lack of funding. On a micro level, people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds do get along in the city. How can we create a critical mass on a macro scale? Use the infrastructure the city already has, the cultural spots that already exist. Small projects are doable, cost less and the civil society can initiate and run them more effectively. Think small! This way people take charge of their own destiny; a larger number of people would be involved in forming the future of their city. Change the public and international perception of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to attract investments without which nothing of the above will happen. Act through local champions and champions abroad individuals, companies and international institutions. More companies would come and use the country as a hub and create jobs both at their own factories and elsewhere at subsuppliers etc. Once you have this running, new investments will come automatically. And new cultural institutions and events will in turn attract capital and subsequently the propeller will start to move. It can be done! 6

8 The workshop presentations Integration of District into the City With the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, which was signed in 1995, the city of Mostar was divided into six municipalities and District. Three municipalities had mainly a Bosnian Muslim population, three mainly Bosnian Croat population. District was the urban quarter where the unification was expected to start. Today, all municipalities but District have master plans which makes the integration of this central narrow urban area into the rest of the city critical. The complexity of the term integration inspired the participants of the New Urban Topologies workshop to divide the term into social integration, spatial integration and economic integration. During their excursion throughout District, the group made a SWOT analysis, which is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an area. On the social side they came to the conclusion that the strengths are the existing meeting points where people socialize. There are streets with many cafes as well as the Spanish Square that is well visited. The social weaknesses are that some parts are not accessible for all people there are narrow streets that disabled people cannot reach. As for opportunities District is an area with the potential of gathering people. It was here where the Chocolate Riots took place in the summer of 2012, gathering young and old to bring chocolate cakes and protest against the division of people, proposing unification and that people work together towards peace. Another opportunity is that people in District could socialize in the street and meet each other. Threats are tensions and political influence from the outside, which highlights that tensions do not necessarily arise within the population in the area. Here, the team stressed that every change 7 and solution for District must come from the inhabitants themselves. On the spatial side, the main strength is the social aspect. The weakness, again, is that the entire area is not accessible for all people. Furthermore the ownership of certain abandoned properties is still a problem. One opportunity is to use the riverbank that is adjacent to the area but not properly used, according to the participants. When they walked in the area they saw a lot of open spaces in other words lost spaces that can be used. The spatial threat is that there is no zoning plan, which makes it difficult to predict and plan what is going to happen. A holistic approach on planning in the city was also seen as important. When creating a plan for District, it will be important to take the adjacent areas into consideration. Regarding economical aspects, the group concluded that District is close to the Old Town and also very centrally located, which is one of its strengths. The team stated that tourism is one of Mostar s growths sectors and that it therefore is a need for more nodes of tourism than the Old Bridge. Here, the District could be one area that would make tourists to stay longer. A weakness that affects the economics of the area is there are a lot of ruins, empty lots and properties not fully used to their potentials. As for now the whole area is practically blocked as there is no zoning or detailed plan. The workshop group stressed that the city is sitting on a very high value untapped resource. In their viewpoint an economic opportunity is to create better access to the riverbank. One could also develop the area in a sustainable way and try new sources of energy. Mostar has 270 sunny days during the year, which is a great potential. For research in making District sustainable one should invite experts from the city s both universities having professionals and students working together. One economic threat could be that the new interventions would not work out, another one is corruption.

9 The suggestion of the workshop participants was to use the riverbank as a link between two major spots, the Old Bridge and the central bus and train station in Mostar. Visitors would get off the bus and walk by the riverbank through a green landscaped path with different kinds of services along it, as cafes, souvenir shops and boutique hotels. Currently it is almost impossible to access the river bank which the group thought was a lack. Another focus of the team was the sustainability of what they called the lost spaces. They believed these could give room for a new central park in Mostar, but also cultural centers, hotels and other common services as public swimming pools. These attractions would make people come and visit the area. The Youth Cultural Centre Abrašević is presently residing in an insufficient property. When the new jail outside the city is finished, the jail in District should be transformed on order to fit the cultural center. As District has such a central location it should also host other central civic functions as a main city library, the participants suggested. District could be seen as a border, but also a unifying area. When doing a new zoning plan, the recommendation of the workshop team was to use symbols in order to strengthen unification. Instead of building a new church, create a temple for all religions and have an architectural competition for the designs! The group finally concluded that District has great potential and said they wanted to highlight that the high land value could be used for investments cover the costs of public investments. 8

10 The Boulevard of Dreams The most frequented road in Mostar is Bulevar Narodne Revolucije. During the war, this street divided the city and the two sides from each other. What are the possibilities today to make it friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists? And what are the future potentials of this historically important road? The New Urban Topologies workshop group focusing on this street named their project Bulevar Snova, the Boulevard of Dreams. The new name would mean to rise above the immediate reality and discuss more optimistic future. This also means that the boulevard has not only a functional quality that serves automobile traffic or infrastructure connection but is an integral part of public life. To imagine what the boulevard could become from the human perspective would mean to think about the possibilities for more intense urban life. In this scenario, the new functions would not only appear along the boulevard but also be a part of new and existing networks that would re-connect the city along and across the boulevard. The already existing pedestrian networks that tie together the historic district with the system of parks, cultural, commercial and recreational areas, east and west of the boulevard, would be expanded. By making the boulevard more pedestrian friendly and by focusing on the quality of public space, the boulevard could become a stage for social and cultural activities. The team said that they learned that there is an existing plan to broaden the boulevard and make it a four-lane motorway for car traffic with roundabouts. Instead of simply solving the traffic situation, the proposal focuses on more complex spatial idea by taking advantage of broadened street space. By using this proposed street widening for new functions and various modes of movement (not only by car), the participants proposed that one could use the extra space for multiple ways of communication as well as for the 9 new public functions. In this scenario the regional heavy traffic would be diverted away from the boulevard and would run around the perimeter of the city. Only the local slower traffic would pass through the boulevard along the narrower slower lanes. The group stressed that they saw the road as a connective tissue for future possibilities especially for young people, which was the reason for renaming it to The Boulevard of Dreams. Some of the functions proposed came from the wishes of the young Bosnians participating in the project, such as the space for a music pavilion and other programs where people could leave problems behind, enjoy life and meet spontaneously. Some of the new functions would be temporary and some permanent. However, the temporary programs could hopefully be built first without the politics of obstruction since the proposal would benefit the broad public without too much expense the team members thought. Suggesting this, the participants explained that they made the infrastructure more complex, with new functions such as the new bike lanes and a new tram (along the path of the historical train) that would be connected to the bus station and the old regional train station, which would be opened again. By doing these multiple interventions one would create a web of spaces that link public activities throughout the city. The new functions would not be expensive, which makes it a more feasible strategy. Looking at the whole region of Mostar, the group also described how one could create regional bike lanes that would attract locals as well as tourists who would get to explore the whole region in an environmentally sustainable way. Besides encouraging people to bicycle and offer new means of public transport the group stressed that one also should also improve the network of pedestrian streets.

11 A Green Mindset District is bordered by the steep riverbanks of Neretva, Mostar s major park and the Spanish Square, which is one of the two major squares in the city. But in the area there are no particular designed green spots or public spaces. What the New Urban Topologies workshop team saw in District was area that were fenced and closed. Several buildings were nothing but remnants of the war, even though most buildings were in transformation. After mapping this situation, the team concluded that the square in front of the Croatian theater is somehow locked. They also noticed the fenced constructions sites and how they become urban voids or obstructions. The participants also saw collisions in the built environment between the two confessions. You see the conflict and you feel it, they concluded. people away from the area of consumerism, sport activities and segregation into something that will be more accessible and open. Visitors to District would use a new connecting pedestrian path and then encounter a blend of spiritual, body and art experiences. The team underlined the importance of these new functions getting connected to the ones that already exists, as the Youth Cultural Centre Abrašević. This historical gathering space has been used and appreciated by many generations since the 1960s. The second part of the proposal was based on Alekse Šantića. The team described this street as empty since half of it still is bordered by houses in reconstruction and as it is not very used by inhabitants or visitors. The participants suggested making the street a model street as many other roads in the city has similar problems. The team highlighted that inserting more green areas within District and by Alekse Šantića could be a key starting point. Their idea was to make the sidewalk wider and the street itself more socially friendly by putting facilities there like hairdressers, shops and cafes facilities for everyday life. The group members also advised creating different kinds of accesses to the river Nerteva, this could be viewpoints on the level of Alekse Šantića as well as paths down to its shore. Even if most of the land adjacent to the river is privately owned, one should try to negotiate with the owners in order to enhance the public access to it, the team concluded. Furthermore, the group discussed the riverbank, which they found beautiful but unfriendly, as one cannot reach it. They believed it has a lot potential as it could be transformed to connect the different inhabitants of the city. The participants came to the conclusion that the city has to rethink this access. The group stressed the need for a vision on how to bring people to District from the mega mall and sports center just outside its borders. As the city s inhabitants are going there, they should also feel invited to visit District. In order to attract people to District the group proposed to create a community center for different groups to meet with contemporary art, a theater or similar cultural activities. These new programs would lead 10

12 Meeting Points Strategies As Districts was a division line between the two sides during the war the social aspect of this area is critical. Despite all efforts that have been invested into the unification process there are still traces of the wounds made by the war. Taking this into consideration, the New Urban Topologies workshop group saw their task as defining the meeting points of this urban quarter. They spoke about the possible gathering places for the citizens of Mostar who they thought would enjoy spending time in the open just as they used to long time ago. The participants also concluded that today there are not enough parks in the city and that those who exist often are dirty, destroyed or not used by the inhabitants. Before the war, each building had a small park in front of it, they said. The team pointed out some sites in District and its surrounding areas where people meet today and where they possibly could meet in the future. They saw Spanish Square as very important as it is highly used by the citizens. But there are also large empty areas that could be transformed into popular well-designed open spaces used by all citizens of Mostar. As District is located in the middle of the city, not belonging to one specific group, it has great pre-requisites for gathering citizens to meet. The workshop participants suggested the city not to build large complexes but rather parks and other open spaces as theaters and galleries where presentations and events could be organized. They discussed the Youth Cultural Centre Abrašević, and pointed out that it has an important history as well is a gathering space for the young population of Mostar today both from the east and west, but that their premises are in bad condition. Therefore, the space needs to be repaired. They also discussed a possible transformation of the prison in District into a youth hotel. 11 The group mentioned that the site with the partisan monument in front of the hospital is a nice place that could be used to a larger extent. Today it is more of a place of conflicts, the group concluded. The large park close to the Spanish Square is nice but mostly used by inhabitants from the eastern side of Mostar. In order to have inhabitants from the entire city visiting it there is a need to create new nodes, paths and crossings over the boulevard. This would make it easier to walk from one site or neighborhood to another. The workshop team also discussed the European trend of using plots temporarily, for art pavilions, community gardens or in other similar ways. The suggestion was that the empty plots of Mostar could be offered for the short term to NGOs to organize cultural activities and events. The participants stressed that new small projects established by the youth are better for the city and easier to realize than big shopping malls and sports arenas. The team finally discussed the security of the public spaces of Mostar. The local participants said that the parks are not safe for women in the evenings. Moreover, there are often tensions and riots at the Bulevar Narodne Revolucije, especially before the elections. They also concluded that for women public spaces sometimes should have a more private character. Especially for the women of the Muslim community it is important with refuges and there is also a tradition of this sort of semi private spaces in Mostar that goes back to the Ottoman Empire. This tradition could be taken up again in conclusion the character of the future public spaces must relate to the needs of people.

13 Propeller of Creativity What is the opinion of the people living and working in District? How do they want their area to evolve, which are their struggles and what do they envision for the future? The New Urban Topologies workshop team dealing with these questions came to the conclusion that one need is to create a propeller of creativity. The participants started their excursion at the Croatian theater where they found both Muslim and Catholic actors employed and learned that also the visitors come from all sorts of communities. Near the theater they entered an old hotel where they interviewed one of the employees who told them that the tourists staying there are both Muslim and Christians. The team also spoke with employees at the international bank, a group of policemen and a woman living in District having her son in the local prison. Finding a lot of facilities in the area, from banks and ministries to schools, cafes and cultural centers, the group saw District as a city in the city with a great potential. The corridor from west to east, all the way from the Monumental Partisan Cemetery, by the famous architect Bogdan Bogdanovich, through Rondo, District and to the Old Bridge (Stari Most) they named The Axis of Culture. The streets do only need some small interventions as signs and only some renovation of the partisan monument is needed in order for it to be a popular site for visitors, they concluded. What really struck them, they said, was that things were working rather well on a micro level. The question, according to them, was how to take it to the next level, how to create a critical mass on a macro scale. And in order to vitalize a theater, a cultural center or a hotel, funds are needed and this is where one must start the analysis, the group stated. As many international investors believe it is too risky to invest in the city and country, it is important to make an effort to change their 12 minds so things can get started. According to the team, this can be done. In order to do this, one need to invest in the minds of people so that they know about the history of Mostar and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As early as in the 12th Century, the then ruler of Bosnia, Ban Kulin, understood the importance in focusing on economic development, concluded a commercial treaty with Ragusa (now Dubrovnik) and invited merchants from Ragusa to invest in the rich Bosnian mines. Today, a whole enchilada of opportunities are within grabbing distance; in Bosnian agricultural products be it wine, tomatoes or fresh Neretva water and in the industrial sector where companies such as Sweden s Zinkteknik use or should use Bosnia and Herzegovina as a hub and create jobs both at their own factories and elsewhere at sub-suppliers etc. And yes, there are even plans to open up the now closed coal mine. Moreover, one needs champions to force these investments to happen. Once you have this running, new investments in culture will come automatically. These new cultural institutions and events will in turn attract capital and subsequently the propeller will start to move. The participants underlined that big development projects are many times corrupted or they stop at some point. In the light of this, the team advised the city of Mostar to use the infrastructure the city already has and the cultural spots that already exist. The team underlined that it only takes small interventions having them thriving. In other words it is important to create small projects that are doable, that even the civil society can initiate and run. Starting with small projects would mean that the new interventions would be less expensive and therefore more likely to happen. In addition to this, a larger number of people would be involved in forming the future of their city which is of great importance.

14 List of participants Sweden Färgfabriken Center for Art and Architecture Thomas Lundh Project Director, New Urban Topologies Joachim Granit Creative Director, Färgfabriken Joacim Björk Board Member, Färgfabriken Rebecka Gordan Documentation Johanna Bratel Documentation The Embassy of Sweden in Sarajevo Bosse Hedberg Ambassador Pelle Persson Councellor, Head of Cooperation, Architect Irene Westman First Secretary Armina Cengic Social Secretary The Swedish Institute Baltic Sea Cooperation Petra Gråberg Program Manager Innovation, Creative and Cultural Industries The City Planning Office in Stockholm Ulrika Egerö Ecologist, Project Leader The Royal Academy of Technology in Stockholm Bojan Boric Architect and Educator, Urban Planning and Design City of Mostar Ljubo Bešlić Mayor Bosnia and Hercegovina City of Mostar, Urban Planning Department Marina Deronjić Head of Department Lejla Ćatić Chef of the Urban planning Sector Senada Demirović Habibija Senior Advisor for urban planning/sector for Urban planning Mirna Trčalo Dipl. Ing. Civil, Advisor in Department for business, utilities and Inspections City of Mostar, the Institute of Urban Planning Salem Bubalo Director Hamzić Senadin Dipl. Ing. Arch, Chef of the Urban planning Sector Herzegovina Neretva Canton, the Institute of Urban Planning Sadeta Džiho Dipl. Ing. Arch, Advisor for urban planning Association of Local Democracy Agencies Mostar Dzenana Dedic President University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar, Faculty of Civil Engineering Maja Popovac Doc, Dipl. Ing. Arch. Menim Badzak Under graduate student Miran Jusufović Under graduate student Ines Polić Under graduate student Nadia Ćenan Under graduate student Edita Gosto Under graduate student Edina Kurtović Under graduate student Merima Kukrica Under graduate student University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar Medina Memidžan Bosnian language student Lejla Hrnjka Bosnian language student Medina Memidžan Law student Jasna Zvonić Law student Lejla Hrnjica Law student University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Architecture Senka Ibrisimbegovic Msc ing arch Asmir Voljevica Msc student Belma Zvizdić Msc student Abart, Youth Cultural Centre Abrašević Amila Puzić Curator Mela Žuljević Architect 13

15 Mostar Youth Council Haris Idriz Marina Džapić Mostar TV Group Karolina Cvjetanović Others Zoran Bo snjak Architect Hilmija Skorupan Dipl. Ing. Arch. Hamzić Senadin Dipl. Ing. Arch. Samir Sosb Dipl. Ing. Arch. Maja Ajda Ajanović Dipl. Ing. Arch. Merima Mahimić Civil Engineer Marko Cećez Civil Engineer Maja Rubinić Artist Nermina Čolić Journalist Egypt Gudran for Art and Development, Alexandria Sameh El Halawany General Manager Macedonia University St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Faculty of Architecture Barbara Irakoska MSc student Moldova Center for Contemporary Art in Chisinau Stefan Rusu Projects and Programs Manager Latvia Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration, Faculty of Architecture and Design Oskars Redbergs Architecture Programme Director The Nederlands Delft University of Technology, Department of Urbanism Tülay Zivali MSc student 14