EXPO.015

People who love cooking use their skills to cook for a larger group.

Solution
The ‘Living Room Restaurant’ scheme is way for people to get a cheap dinner and meet other people, in a home setting. After reserving a place via email or phone, people can literally come and sit at the host’s dining table. After a short chat between all the guests, dinner is served, comprising two appetizers, main course, dessert and unlimited drinks. Guests can choose the background music and help with clearing the table between each dish. The hosts sit on the ends of the table and switch places between courses so they can talk to everyone there. The evening lasts as long as the guests and hosts want, and costs 15 euros.

Background
Many older people are cut off from society, and often miss being able to cook for and entertain their children and family, once the children leave home. The people who started the scheme want to make friends, be socially active and create a support network. They love to cook and want to offer a cheap alternative for people who like to go out to dinner.

Current state of development
The scheme started in February 2005, and other similar networks have also set up recently.
The members will keep going with the project while it is still fun, and quite happy with the current set up and are not looking for any changes or expansion.

The benefits

Society
The Living Room Restaurant’s benefits are mainly to individuals, rather than groups, as it enables otherwise lonely people to make new friends. The evenings are arranged so that the almost nobody knows each other at each party.

Environment
There are no significant benefits to the environment.

Economy
The hosts make no profit, but nor do they make a loss. Most of the benefit is on a social level. They shop in regular supermarkets and they do not need a restaurant licence as it is so small-scale.

The quality of the experience
Demonstrating one’s own skills and capabilities. Meeting new people with an open attitude in a cheerful environment. Being pleasantly surprised by the culinary ability of neighbours, and discovering their home.

Future development possibilities
Finding buildings large common areas and professional kitchens for social events. Ensuring hygiene in the cooking and dining equipment.

Authors:
TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Ivo Stuyfzand, Eric Toering, Mathijs Wullems

http://sustainable-everyday.net/cases/?p=44

Concept: Urban planting plays an important role to sustain the vision for the future of green healthy cities. The kitchen gardens reduce the emissions of CO2 caused by food transport, clean the air, control the flood, contrast green house effect.

Urban vegetable gardening

The installation was composed of a number of elements: A kitchen garden for the balcony of an urban house, with ripe vines, a pleasure and a tool to tune us with seasonal vegetables. Walls of ivy, an intelligent plant that can absorb benzene, clean the air and reduce noise pollution.. Collaborative plants: selected by Eugea (a spin off company spawning from on-going research, at the department of Agriculture, University of Bologna), a special mix for a healthy micro habitats of flowers and vegetables encouraging a new home ecology: collaborative, healthy, intelligent planting that attract butterflies and useful insects (lessening the need for chemical pesticides) to help the biodiversity and the pollination of other vegetation in the community. Issue No. II of ‘Impollinazione Urbana – urban pollination. A monthly calendar promoting urban gardening, with recipes and remedies optimizing the use of in-season fruit and vegetables. Tree Building: designed by Francesco Rodighiero, a helpful plant accessory and an ironic image envisioning a greener city, the first of a range of products we are developing to make the greenery in our homes a more pleasurable experience. (produced by www.superegodesign.com)

Our research is supoprted by Gianumberto Accinelli (President of Eugea), department of Agriculture, University of Bologna And Emina Cevro Vukovic, author and journalist.

Grenngoes, play the word! From 2009 Positiveflow wish to offer Impollinazione Urbana as a monthly guide online and further develop its collection of designed accessories for your garden at home.

http://www.positiveflow.net/html/projects/impollinazione.shtml

Valcucine in collaborazione con il gruppo di ricerca Design ed Innovazione per la Sostenibilità del Politecnico di Milano, propone un progetto volto a suggerire scenari di vita sostenibili ambientati in cucina. Uno stile di vita sostenibile è il risultato della combinazione di comportamenti quotidiani virtuosi e dell’utilizzo di prodotti e servizi eco-compatibili: come può una cucina accogliere e incoraggiare questi comportamenti, ovvero attuare una più consapevole gastronomia domestica?“Un’idea di qualità attenta alla sostenibilità, sia ambientale che sociale, non può interessare solo il prodotto, ma deve anche riflettersi negli stili di vita di chi lo utilizza nelle pratiche quotidiane. Ed è proprio questa la definizione che si vuole dare di una gastronomia contemporanea, consapevole e critica nei confronti di modelli alimentari non più sostenibili. E’ necessario ripensare in modo radicale ai nostri modi di approvvigionare, produrre, preparare, conservare e consumare il cibo. E’ necessario, in definitiva, acquisire un nuovo “saper fare” in cucina, fatto di scelte, competenze e di piaceri. E l’ambiente cucina non può che essere protagonista e, al tempo stesso, strumento di questa trasformazione, offrendo a chi lo vive la possibilità di cambiare”.   

verdecurato da è un progetto per la riqualificazione di spazi pubblici inutilizzati (rotatorie stradali, aiuole pubbliche o piccoli giradini rionali) e solitamente inospitali per qualsiasi attività ricreativa.
Gli spazi individuati verrano riqulificati attraverso la piantumazione di essenze arboree. L’intera operazione si propone come totalmente sostenibile: le aiuole, le rotatorie e gli altri spazi pubblici destinati alla piantumazione sono progettati per essere completamente esenti da costi aggiuntivi, e infatti utilizzano esclusivamente fonti rinnovabili (fotovoltaico per i lampioni, riciclo dell’acqua piovana per l’irrigazione) e sistemi di recupero dei materiali. L’obiettivo, non solo artistico, dunque, ma anche etico e sociale è restituire lo spazio pubblico alla collettività, garantendo allo stesso tempo la contrazione delle spese pubbliche e la riduzione del peso delle imposte sui cittadini, oltre a nuovi utili servizi.Il progetto muove dall’individuazione di vantaggi locali per gli abitanti e non si cala dall’alto, ma si pone come elemento di dialogo tra i cittadini e gli enti locali per concertare rispettivi desideri e necessità. Questo tipo di intervento mette in relazione il cittadino con l’artista che, a sua volta, coinvolge nuovi attori: i tecnici, il costruttore,le pubbliche amministrazioni.

http://www.verdecuratoda.it

November 4, 2008

Bureau Broedplaatsen is set up by the City of Amsterdam. Its role is to find and develop more affordable studios and living/working spaces for artists and alternative cultural entrepreneurs. Bureau Broedplaatsen does not have studios or living/working spaces for rent. The Bureau Broedplaatsen Service Counter offers the groups and individuals belonging to the target group of the project practical information and answers to questions about searching for, finding and maintaining suitable and affordable accommodation.

What kind of information can the Service Counter provide me with?

- Expertise
How can I start up an art factory myself, and what assistance can Bureau Broedplaatsen offer me?
- Procedure/subsidies
Explanation of the procedures followed by Bureau Broedplaatsen, subsidies and conditions.
- Contact with art factories and free spaces in Amsterdam
Information about how to contact art factories or free spaces.
- Links
A list of relevant links that can be of assistance.

http://www.broedplaatsamsterdam.nl/en/nieuws_details.php?elem_id=1333

The Creative Space Agency is an innovative service that links owners of vacant property with creative professionals looking for potential spaces in London in which to work, exhibit, perform or rehearse.

The services on offer through the Creative Space Agency include an up to date list of available spaces in London, handy fact sheets and regular training sessions to help creative professionals get the most out of the service.

The Creative Space Agency is a project delivered jointly by CIDA (the Cultural Industries Development Agency) and Urban Space Management.

CIDA is the leading support organisation for the creative and cultural sector. We help thousands of creative individuals, businesses and arts organisations by providing information, business support, professional development training, networking & showcasing opportunities, and by commissioning new work.

Urban Space Management is a leading developer and manager of regeneration projects in Great Britain and the United States, drawing more than 15 million visitors to it projects annually.

This initiative is funded by Arts Council England, London and the London

http://www.creativespaceagency.co.uk

Nucleo asbl
Associazione per sostenere artisti visivi con sede a Gand, esiste dal 2001. Sulla base del presupposto che non vi è poco spazio per creare a prezzi accessibili e che un gruppo di artisti sotto un unico tetto è un mezzo per creare sinergie. Essi forniscono spazi di lavoro per i loro membri. L’associazione (che offre anche altri servizi ai suoi membri) sta lavorando con la città di Gand, provincia del Limburgo (che sovvenziona un posto di lavoro), het Stadsontwikkelingsbedrijf e collabora con i lavori del centro di formazione e la ‘L’uso di CPAS per la riabilitazione degli edifici.
Per accedere a una zona deve completare una serie di criteri (compreso il diploma superiore, ecc.) In breve, solo artisti che con le ambizioni professionali hanno la possibilità, di un posto è riservato a organizzazioni culturali a condizione che anche mettere al servizio di artisti residenti (collaborazione, …).

Lo spazio è disponibile per 2 anni con una valutazione intermedia dopo un anno.
www.nucleo.be            

Citizen Space is a coworking space in San Francisco located at 425 Second St on the third floor. It is generally open from 10am – 6pm weekdays. The idea of Citizen Space is to take the best elements of a coffee shop (social, energetic, creative) and the best elements of a workspace (productive, functional) and combine them to give indie workers the chance to have their own, affordable space. Citizen Space was built on coworking philosophy.Day-tripping and casual guests can visit for free, but you must follow our ground rulez and be a good neighbor. If you want to leave your stuff, we rent out desks for $425/month. We also hold various events at our space and are happy to consider making our facilities available for event hosting.If this sounds interesting to you, drop us a note or join either the Citizen Space mailing list (low volume) or Coworking Group. Or just drop by!