FUNDED INITIATIVES

The DESIGNSCAPES Call for Pilot Projects had the goal of identifying and supporting an indicative number of 50 feasibility studies, 40 prototypes and 10 full innovation pilots across EU Member and Associated States, involving public and/or private sector organizations, as well as individual researchers and/or practitioners, to highlight the opportunities and challenges for Design enabled innovation in urban environments. ...

The Call had three stages (with their corresponding deadlines) and its benefits included training, coaching and mentoring services to awarded candidates of Stages 2 and 3 (Prototype and Scalability proof), which were provided by the DESIGNSCAPES project partners and through an online platform.

DESIGNSCAPES were focused on funding projects addressing at least one of the following domains: climate change & environmental footprint, social exclusion, economic crisis, low quality of life, crisis of democracy and crisis of values.
  • Climate change and environmental footprint (sustainable and smart mobility, sustainable energy, sustainable food supply chain, reduction of waste, sustainable resource management, zero emissions, coping natural disasters);
  • Social exclusion (coping with migrants and asylum seekers, measures for the ageing society, opportunities for youth, intergenerational dialogue, wealth distribution equity, minorities integration, spatial integration, intercultural integration, disabled people integration, access to education, affordable healthy food, gender equality, affordable housing)
  • Economic crisis (income support measures, new jobs, urban transformation, alternative finance, arts and culture, social enterprises, new economic models e.g. sharing, circular, Gig, social currency, new business models)
  • Low quality of life (healthcare, sense of safety and security, urban space quality, personal well being)
  • Crisis of democracy (alternative democratic models, people's participation, institutional responsiveness, transparency, media old and new, access to power structures)
  • Crisis of Values (solidarity and collaboration, environmental awareness, peace values, cultural awareness, sense of belonging and community identity, respect for diversity)