Problem Statement:

We are looking at the access to waterways and green spaces as a social and political priority in the Cluj area. We have high discrepancies in our services/privileges and access to fundamental environmental rights: with peripheric neighborhoods facing challenges of clean water and access to green spaces, as opposed to central areas with sandy beaches and newly designed parks.

Challenge description:

As climate change intensifies, green spaces become crucial for urban well-being. Urban trees enhance intellectual capacities, creativity, learning, and mood, while also helping navigate mental health challenges and speeding up recovery in hospitalized people. Walking in urban parks and forests promotes social health and green spaces (trees and urban forests) reduce urban heat islands and associated mortality. The first challenge is related to the significant inequalities in access to green spaces. Cluj-Napoca exhibits extreme heat islands and lacks sufficient green spaces to buffer these temperatures. Cluj-Napoca is developing a culture at the level of the society that increasingly values the recreational benefits of urban and peri-urban green spaces. Civil society initiatives like Someș Delivery and Clujul Sustenabil aim to reconnect people with urban nature. The second challenge is related to the enormous gap between the aspirations and visions at the level of the city governance and the increasing social demand for green spaces in Cluj-Napoca. Citizens’ participation in city planning through public consultation is increasingly needed and expected. This dissonance presents an opportunity for co-creative and deliberative activities among stakeholders in order to form a shared vision for positive human-nature futures in the city

Residency characteristics:

CCC will mediate the collaboration between scientist Tibor Hartel and the artist in residence. Starting from Hartel’s extensive scientific knowledge and insights into the local landscape, the artist will be able to immerse themselves into an interdisciplinary dialogue about the importance of urban green spaces. The residency duo will be part of at least 2-3 in-person meetings next to the online meetings and will benefit from the LCC’s mentoring and support during the entire residency. The working flow includes flexibility and attention to both artist and scientist needs. The artist will benefit from the Studiotopia’s network of partners, knowledge, communication and practice sharing events.

In the first half of 2025, the duo will also be invited to be part of Pop-Up Labs for young people to discuss the awareness of nature through art. The residency will culminate with a local exhibition/ event in October 2025 in Cluj-Napoca focusing on either the artistic processes or an artistic piece.