Team Morita, Review 2

Below you find the presentation of team Morita along with the feedback from coaches. Don`t forget to share your comments and feedback to the team.

Debrif II

Presentation team Morita:

First Intervention – Street Art Fest in Pipila Square

Materials and other things needed for the event:
1) Permission from the city to carry out the event (the request for the permission will be/was submitted)
2) Colorful Chalk (cheap material, with which the street art will be created)
3) Street Artists (two organizations: Nueve Arte Urbano and Cooltura have been contacted and they are interested in co-hosting the event with team Morita)
4) Participants (there will be created the cartels which will advertise the event, advertisement through Facebook?)
5) Music equipment (to play music during the event)
6) Flip chart and markers to write down the ideas of the inhabitants of La Otra Banda
7) Table with some small free snacks and drinks for participants

The time plan for the intervention:
Time:  20 January 2016, from 1pm to 4pm.

Time	Goal	Content	Method	Peron responsible
13:00 – 13:15	To start the event and make people aware of it	Begin the event	The music will be put on to let people know that sth is going on. Inhabitants of La Otra Banda will be welcomed to the event	The Morita Team
13:15 – 16:00	Creation of amazing picture with the topic: urban gardening	To show people how the street art is created and interest/intro- duce them in the topic of urban gardening	Street artist paint on the ground with colorful chalk	Nueve Arte Urbano and Cooltura
13:15 – 14:00 14:15 – 15:00	To encourage participation from the people of La Otra Banda	To collect people who will be willing to take part in the street art workshop	People who come to the event because of advertisement and who are just walking by will be ask if they would like to learn how to create the street art	The Morita Team
14:00 – 15:00 15:00 – 16:00	To teach people about street art	Participants together with the street artist will create some amazing picture with topic: “If my neighborhood had a garden...”	The method will be chosen by street artist	Nueve Arte Urbano and Cooltura
13:15 – 16:00	Reality Check: how many people knows what the urban gardening is/ how many are interested in the idea of opening the nursery and would take part in its program	The inhabitants will be given information about the urban gardening and its benefits. They will also be asked about their ideas to brin urban gardening in La Otra Banda.	The participants will be able to take with them the information brochure about possible changes in pipila squere and urban gardening. There will be flip chart where participants during the event can write their ideas about urban gardening.	The Morita Team

Modelling

Criteria

Planed interventions and actors involved: 

1. El Tepe street art fest

What is it:

In is the street art fest, where people of La Otra Banda will be able to learn and participate in street art making, thy also will be part of the art installation in the El Tepe market. It is the first event/intervention in La Otra Banda that will start the change in the neighborhood. Furthermore it shall be a platform to show and advertise ongoing actions in LOB. Moreover it shall encourage people to participate in the in these actions, to speak up and to get involved in community work.

When and where it will happen:

The street art fest will take a place in El Tepe. We chose this location, because from the interviews with inhabitants we could concluded, that for many people of La Otra Banda it is their favorite place, the heart of the neighborhood. For the other interventions to work, first the heart needs to be put in monition and pump the energy to the other parts of La Otra Banda.

The event should not take place just once, but be repeated on the yearly basis.

Who is the main actor and why:

The main actors in the event will be organization Nueve Arte Urbano and team Morita. Nueve Arte Urbano is the organization in which many urban artists are active and which goal is to achieve the change and social cohesion through the street art.

Team Morita will organize the first event in January and include Nueve Arte Urbano into cooperation and future organization of the street art fest. 

2. Pop up park

What is it:

Pop up park is the temporary (short-term) installation in the public space. We want to create the pop up parks with the help of the inhabitants of La Otra Banda. The inhabitants should bring to the pop up park some elements (e.g. bench, table, plant, etc.) and set up the park themselves.

We want to use the pop up parks on the one hand to show people in LOB that there are some nice public spaces in the neighborhood which are not used but could be. On the other hand we will use the pop up parks to test some of our ideas. If people find them interesting and will use then, we can plan permanent arrangement.

When and where should it happen:

There are planed many pop up parks in La Otra Banda. There should be at least one in every room of the neighborhood.

Who is the main actor and why:

The main actors involved in the pop up parks would be Unlugar, deriveLab and Tech de Monterrey.

3. Pedestrian El Tepe on tianguis days

What is it:

It is idea to close the car traffic around El Tepe in days of the open market. The only people who will be able to access this part of LOB with the cars will be people who sell on the market, suppliers and residents (people who live around El Tepe). It will allow the pedestrians to feel safer around the market and people who really need to access it by car, will be able to do it more freely.

When and where should it happen:

Around El Tepe.

Who is the main actor and why:

IMPLAN – this change must happen with the permission and intervention of the city.

IMPLAN is the Municipal Institute of Planning of Queretaro. It is a public organization which describes its aim as sustainable planning and developing of La Otra Banda, taking into account economic, environmental and social factors.

4. Security 1° plan (police module and police on bikes)

What is it:

During the interviews with inhabitants of LOB, we found out that the biggest problem in the neighborhood is security. To increase feeling of security we would like to have more policemen on the bikes (just like in the UNESCO Zone) around LOB. In Order to achieve that official letter sign by xxx number of inhabitants of LOB must be submitted to the main police station.

When and where should it happen:

Whole LOB.

Who is the main actor and why:

Police of Queretaro. 

5. Community bank

What is it:

It is the bank managed and organized by the inhabitants of LOB themselves. It will provide access to banking services to the poorer residents who generally would not otherwise have access to them in traditional banks, based on lack of credit or financial history. The community bank would contribute to the economical development by issuing micro credits with low payment interest rates to business owners and other inhabitants. Possible forms of micro credits: credit for local businesses, instant credit, credit for home renovation, environmental micro credit. Community bank in La Otra Banda would be managed by community.

When and where should it happen:

For the headquarters of the bank we could use one of the abended buildings near the train station. In this way bank and newspaper will be next to each other and can involve the same man power and effort to renovate the building.

Who is the main actor and why:

The main actor in this intervention should be economy students from Queretaro. At the university there could be created the project where students have to work with the community of LOB (also the NGOs and organization that already are present there) to create community bank. The bank should be managed by the community itself, not the students, through the democratically chosen councils. 

6. Newspaper

What is it:

This intervention should increase the non-physical mobility in LOB through enabling communication between the inhabitants. It would be suggested that the communication will fallow on tree different platforms: 1) local newspaper -Mi barrio es tu casa, 2) Facebook profile for La Otra Banda, with place for every room, 3) website –http//:laotrabanda.mx. All three platforms should contain information about what is going on the La Otra Banda, news and events, opinions and wishes for changes in the city quarter. On top of that the events in La Otra Banda will be communicated to the inhabitants through the posters that will be hanging around the neighborhood/city of Queretaro.

When and where should it happen:

Step 1: La Via lunches Facebook page

Step 2: La Via and other organizations in LOB use Facebook and posters to inform the public about the changes and events in the neighborhood.

Step 3: Inhabitants start using Facebook page to communicate with each other and express their opinions and wishes about and for the changes in the neighborhood.

Step 4: La Via talks to other organizations in LOB and get them involved and excited about the idea of lunching local newspaper and website. The proper steps are being taken in order to receive a credit in the community bank for renovation of the abandoned building near train station, which will become the newspaper office.

Step 5: La Via together with other organizations lunches local newspaper and website.

Step 6: Next to Facebook and posters, the newspaper and website are be used to in inform general public about the changes and events. The other topics like education, health, environment, etc. become also the important part of the newspaper. Every inhabitant is informed that he/she can become the writer for the newspaper. The open letter section is lunched.

Step 7: People start using the spaces of the newspaper office as a meeting and information point. People begin writing for the newspaper.

Who is the main actor and why:

The coordination for those communications platforms could be in the hands of culture center – La Via - opened in 2012. La Via offers variety of free of charge activities, e.g. painting, dancing, yoga and meditation. Over 350 inhabitants of La Otra Banda are attending their coursers.

People of La Via together with other organizations (e.g. T.E.P.E., La Jarbonara, museum in the train station) and artist in La Otra Banda could be the main writers of the newspaper, website and fb profile. However, inhabitants of the city quarter should also be able to submit their article or opinion if they want to (e.g. as letter to the newspaper). La Via could inform about the opportunity to write for “Mi barrio es tu casa” its 350 visitors. They can be a starting point and spread the word further. 

7. Nursery (waste management, seeds, compost)

What is it:

The idea is to create the place called nursery where people of LOB would learn about the composting and gardening. The idea is that the people of LOB would use their roofs to do those activities. The people can use their waste to create humus on which they can grow food. The waste is for free. It is a resource which is there, but is not seen as one.

The waste is has a negative financial value (you have to pay for disposal). Maybe if people do composting they have to pay less waste fees. So gain a financial benefit by composting. The space on the roofs often is not used. In general there is a lack of space in the city, space costs money. Urban gardening can be a nice usage of that unused space.

When and where should it happen:

The nursery could have its headquarters in one of the abounded buildings near train station; it would become a neighbor to Newspaper and Bank.

Who is the main actor and why:

The main actor would become the organization CIASPE, which already teach urban gardening in Queretaro. They created event in T.E.P.E. where children learnt about the different plants and how to set up a garden.

 

 

 

 

Paracosmos

Real and unreal elements in our interpretation of La Otra Banda:

Reality Check

Interviews with inhabitants of La Otra Banda (please fallow the link below): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzuy3rt9nE8&feature=youtu.be

Stakeholders/actors:

NGO T.E.P.E.: the only non-profit organization that take care of the children in La Otra Banda. The children can visit and stay at the organization for free. Their goal is to increase the quality of life for children who come from poorer families in the neighborhood. The center is open in the morning hours because it wants to aim children who go to school in the afternoon (usually a sign of lower class). It has already many projects that involve not only the children from La Otra Banda but also their mothers. Once a month they organize meetings for the mothers, where they can meet each other, talk about their problem, etc. T.E.P.E. can be found near the train station, in the living room of La Otra Banda.

Where: Pop up Park in the living room, street art events for children, local newspaper: topics → Family and Education, Health and Sexuality, Community Bank

Families (people of La Otra Banda): from the statistic gather in La Otra Banda, we can tell, that women are in slight majority in this city quarter. In the living room of La Otra Banda the proportions between male and females are almost equal, however women tend to be in slight majority.

The children are huge group of the inhabitants in La Otra Banda. The citizens in age from 0 to 17 constitute over 65 percent of all inhabitants in this city quarters. People in productive age (from 18 till 64) constitute only around 20 percent while elderly around 15 percent. From those statistic we can tell that children with their families (and most important mothers) are very important stakeholders in the region.

From the statistic we also find out that most of the people in La Otra Banda (around 60 percent) is working and another 5 percent are actively looking for a job. Big percent of the inhabitants in La Otra Banda in the statistics is marked as occupationally inactive (around 35 percent). To this group can belong the elderly who reached their retainment age and most probably women – mothers, who decided to become stay home mothers and take care of their children or have unregistered occupation, e.g. selling newspapers, cleaning cars, etc.

Where: everywhere, elect council of inhabitants for Community Bank

La Jabonara: design firm which headquarters near the train station, in the living room of La Otra Banda. They cooperate with the community and IMPLAN and are witnesses to the slow transformation the the neighborhood.

Where: Local newspaper of La Otra Banda: topics: Changes and Events in La Otra Banda, new architectural designs, Community Bank

IMPLAN: the Municipal Institute of Planning of Queretaro. It is a public organization which describes its aim as sustainable planning and developing of La Otra Banda, taking into account economic, environmental and social factors.

Where: new architectural designs

Culture Center La Via: opened in 2012. It offers variety of free of charge activities, e.g. painting, dancing, yoga and meditation. Over 350 inhabitants of La Otra Banda are attending the coursers in La Via.

Where: main actor of local newspaper (coordination): topics → Changes and Events in La Otra Banda, Community Bank

Train station: because there are no passenger trains to Queretaro those days, the train station has become museum of the train transport. Moreover it organizes some activities for locals like dance lessons on Friday and Saturday evening.

Where: pop up park, street art events, local newspaper: topics → culture

Schools: there are many schools collected around north entrance to La Otra Banda. The schools include primary and secondary school with many children.

Where: pop up park in the north entrance of La Otra Banda, local newspaper: topic → Family and Education. 

Community Bank in La Otra Banda: 

The goal of the community bank is to promote the development of low income areas through ensuring micro-credits for local production and consumption with low interest rates and no requirements for registration, proof of income, or guarantor, (the neighbors guarantee the borrower's reliability). Its mission is also to provide access to banking services to residents of poorer communities who generally would not otherwise have access to them in traditional banks, based on lack of credit history or financial collateral and/or physical distance.

How would the community bank contribute to the development in La Otra Banda?

The community bank would contribute to the economical development by issuing micro credits with low payment interest rates to business owners and other inhabitants. The credits could be issued in official currency of Mexico or local currency (it could be called e.g.: “Mi Barrio”), which circulates only within La Otra Banda and only there can be spent. The aim of the local currency is to make the money circulate in the community, thereby expanding the power of local commerce, increasing circulating wealth in the community, and generating both employment and income. This development must be autonomous, from within, otherwise, it will not be sustainable. One unit of local currency would be equal to one real Mexican peso, and both currencies could be exchanged freely at any time. To encourage people to take a loan in local currency rather then the official one, the micro credits in local currency could have lower interest rates and more flexible payment conditions. Moreover there could be created arrangements with for local merchants in order to give incentives, e.g. discounts to consumers who use the local currency.

By enabling people to easy credits more business and jobs could be created around La Otra Banda.

Possible forms of micro credits:

1. Credit for local businesses

For the improvement or creation of both formal and informal small businesses in La Otra Banda.

2. Instant credit

“Instant credit” allowing the creditor to benefit from the day-to-day opportunities the community market has to offer.

3. Credit for home renovation

Instant credit for the purpose of home renovation.

4. Environmental micro credi

Credit given to people who want to start with the waste management.

Who would open and run community bank in LOB?

Community bank in La Otra Banda would be managed by community organizations (associations, councils, forums etc.) and other types of civil society initiatives that are recognized within the community, such as unions, NGOs, and churches. With the help of already existing NGOs and social organizations in La Otra Banda, the first community bank in La Otra Banda could be created. Its management would involve components of local social control and direct democracy. There should exist three councils which would control and manage the bank.

How to finance the community bank?

The bank could operate on the bases of the real bank. It would be possible to open an account and the money sored in the accounts could be used as a loans to the business owners or other inhabitants of La Otra Banda. The money made from the in the interest rates on loans re-payments can be use to pay for the building the bank is in and wages for its employees. 

Time line:

Step 1.: Existing NGOs and organizations in LOB decide to lunch the community bank.

Step 2.: The organizations make the community meeting, where they inform the inhabitants about the idea for community bank and explain how it will work.

Step 3.: Small private donations are collected in order to rent and renovate the building for the bank.

Step 4.: The councils of inhabitants, small business owners and non-profit organizations are chosen to manage the community bank.

Step 5.: Inhabitants of La Otra Banda open their bank accounts in the community bank.

Step 6.: The bank starts giving the micro loans to the people of La Otra Banda.

Step 7.: Old businesses develop, new ones are created.

 Newspaer "Mi Barrio es tu casa"

Where would the newspaper operate?

Newspaper office will be placed in one of the abandoned buildings near train station and train tracks. This place will be used not only as a newspaper office but also as a meeting point where people can exchange their ideas, propose new events and talk about their needs and wishes.

In the future in the newspaper building cam be created community library and rooms for workshops.

The renovation of the building can be finance from the loan received from the community bank as well as public donations of the people of La Otra Banda.

Time line:

Step 1.: La Via lunches Facebook page

Step 2.: La Via and other organizations in LOB use Facebook and posters to inform the public about the changes and events in the neighborhood.

Step 3.: Inhabitants start using Facebook page to communicate with each other and express their opinions and wishes about and for the changes in the neighborhood.

Step 4.: La Via talks to other organizations in LOB and get them involved and excited about the idea of lunching local newspaper and website. The proper steps are being taken in order to receive a credit in the community bank for renovation of the abandoned building near train station, which will become the newspaper office.

Step 5.: La Via together with other organizations lunches local newspaper and website.

Step 6.: Next to Facebook and posters, the newspaper and website are be used to in inform general public about the changes and events. The other topics like education, health, environment, etc. become also the important part of the newspaper. Every inhabitant is informed that he/she can become the writer for the newspaper. The open letter section is lunched.

Step 7.: People start using the spaces of the newspaper office as a meeting and information point. People begin writing for the newspaper.

  

Review 1 - Team Morita

Below you will find a recording of the team Morita's presentation along with the feedback from coaches. 

Debrif I - Team Morita

Agriculture Cooperation: 

The scenario is the following, imagine:
There would be…:

• An increasing number of people reading the newspaper, listening to the local radio and following on face book, seeing LOB as as their home
• Upcoming news in the radio: Next phase of LOB agricultural cooperation. Separation of organic waste is rewarded with discount for food at the participating shops at TEPE.
• Background information: Local NGOs assisted by the establishment of an experimental cooperation between a regional farmer and the some vendors of TEPE. The participating vendors are separating their organic waste. The organic matter is then transported to the regional farm. For separating the waste the vendors pay less taxes on Tepe, because the amount of waste going to the dumbside is reduced. At the farm the organics are processed by to humus by composting. The humus is used as organic fertilizer and replaces a big amount of mineral fertilizer. More detailed information about the cooperative, the discounts and technical issues you’ll find at our present newspaper on facebook. People participate it is very easy, good for everybody and good for your budget!
• For the next 1,5 hours you’ll hear the local band … .

Szenario: Agricultural Cooperative:

• Starting at the “Heart” of LOB in “Tepe” -> pantry, food basket
• Where does the discount comes from?
• What are the chances?
  • Resilienz
  • Common Identity
  • Local Economy
  • Awareness
  • Sustainable Rescource Management

• Obstacles:
  • To find a NGO
  • To find a farmer
  • Acceptance of org. fertilizers by farmers

Social Networks in La Otra Banda:

In the meeting on 23.10.2015, we decided to focus on mobility. Mobility can be understand in two dimensions: physical (entrances and roads – physical connections - between different rooms) and non -physical (social networks, communication channels). This paper will focus on non-physical mobility in La Otra Banda.

Goal and mean of communication:

The goal of non-physical mobility is to create the platform for communication between inhabitants of La Otra Banda. This platform should be easily accessible and easy to use for every inhabitant of La Otra Banda. There have to be consider new technologies but also the old ones for people who either don't have access to new technologies or simply don't know how to use them. It would be suggested that the communication will fallow on tree different platforms: 1) local newspaper -”Mi barrio es tu casa”, 2) Facebook profile for La Otra Banda, with place for every room, 3) website – http//:mibarrioestucasa-lob.mx. All three platforms should contain information about what is going on the La Otra Banda, news and events, opinions and wishes for changes in the city quarter.

Actors involved:

The coordination for those communications platforms could be in the hands of culture center – La Via. People of La Via together with other organizations (e.g. T.E.P.E., La Jarbonara, museum in the train station) and artist in La Otra Banda could be the main writers of the newspaper, website and fb profile. However, inhabitants of the city quarter should also be able to submit their article or opinion if they want to (e.g. as letter to the newspaper). La Via could inform about the opportunity to write for “Mi barrio es tu casa” its 350 visitors. They can be a starting point and spread the word further.

Topics in the newspaper:

Changes in La Otra Banda

Events

Water and waste management

Family and education

Heath and sexuality

Letters and articles from inhabitants of La Otra Banda

Costs of “Mi barrio es tu casa”:

The costs of the printed version of the local newspaper could be covered with the money for the newspaper. The newspaper would cost $4. The further cost could be covered by advertising. Local businesses and organizations would be able to place their ad for small money. The advertising could appear on both printed and digital version.

Mi Barrio es tu casa approach: 

The house and the rooms: 

From Spaces to Network:

Detonation in the heart of La Otra Banda: 

 

Reusage of abandoned bulidings: 

Time line: