CO-CREATION OF PUBLIC SPACES - lala.ruhr is a New European Bauhaus Mentor

In 2023, lala.ruhr served as a design and business mentor in the New European Bauhaus program, working with projects such as the “Cabra Figra” in Cascais, Portugal, designed by the firm R/C Rés do Chão.

Rés do Chão specializes in architecture, urban planning, and community engagement. The team develops urban renewal projects and enhances public and community spaces through inclusive participatory processes that foster social cohesion and strengthen trust in institutions.

In our collaborative project, we worked with current and future residents through a community design process to develop a design for a public square in the new “Cabra Figra” neighborhood in Cascais, Portugal. By creating a garden and playground together with the people who will eventually use it, we are building a space that will serve them in the future.

Through a series of workshops and surveys, design ideas were developed, refined, and discussed again with residents. Since this neighborhood on the outskirts of the city is still in the early stages of development, the process has taken on a unique dynamic that addresses the transition from a rural environment to a future urban area.

The mentoring program was designed to provide technical expertise to support the projects while ensuring adherence to the principles of the New European Bauhaus Compass, and was managed by the EIT. The New European Bauhaus program supported the participatory process, and the resulting design will be implemented by the city of Cascais in the near future.