In autumn 2016, in collaboration with teachers and students from Lykkebo School, arki_lab put Kulbane’s future on the agenda. The program focused on creating awareness of the future Kulbane Park among students, and giving them a voice in the development of this local public space.

The process was composed of three workshops and a final ‘opening’ event, where parents, teachers, politicians and interested citizens visited the students’ work. The workshops aimed to give students insight into the design process where they learned to make simple site analyses, conduct interviews, participate in creative brainstorming sessions, and design using small sketch models.

The goal of the project was to facilitate young people in developing a physical identity for the new park by creating installations that were placed at various important points in the Kulbane neighbourhood. This then marked the beginning of the Area Renewal’s work in physical form, as well as gave them valuable insights on developing the park, and ensure local awareness of the project.

Motivating young people to participate in the development of their local area not only anchors the final result in its context, establishing its future role in the area - it creates active citizens who believe in their own input for change. This insight will benefit society on a longterm scale, as knowledge that the youth can draw on for the rest of their lives. Striving for each process to have this kind of ripple effect is an important model of work for a more socially sustainable society.