Urban Social Initiatives and Co-Creation

As part of the 2014 fall semester study program, Studio Design and Social Innovation from Aarhus School of Architecture collaborates with DemokraCity on a community initiative project to revitalize TILST, a city located on the outskirts of Aarhus, Denmark.
Demokracity focuses on urban social initiatives and co-creation design projects which encourage citizens’ community involvement, commitment, and collaborations.
Initiated by the Aarhus City Council, “NEW ANGLES ON TILST” aims to involve residents and local stakeholders directly in the development and planning of the neighborhoods in close interaction with municipal staff and architects.
Located approximately 10km West of Aarhus, Tilst is a suburban area with large city blocks and traditional residential areas.
The area has an unofficial reputation
of a “sleeping city”, and is known to 
have misdemeanor crimes and issue of vandalisms due to social class segregation.
This paper will describe how interventions in Tilst collaborating with local residents helps to devise social initiatives that aims to improve the local community identity. The project is about examine a place potentials, initiating a new use and story of the site and thereby build a new identity and create value for the area.