Local (e.g. Neighbourhood, City/Town, Metropolitan Area)

Problems and Purpose

The Alternative University Project (AltU) grew out of the frustration felt by a group of McGill and Concordia University students about the growing inaccessibility of the Quebec higher education system. The AltU is a collection of classes taught by professors, students, community members, or through innovative communal formats on subjects which range from “Knitting” and “Programming” to “Introduction to Anarchism” and “New Materials Writing Workshop and Discussion.”

Introduction

Burning Man is an annual artistic festival which is held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and whose central premise involves extensive community participation. Far from being a standard art festival, Burning Man embraces the idea of radical inclusion and aims to instill a set of core values in its many participants. In order to achieve this objective, the week-long event features a variety of fascinating participatory frameworks, from consensus decision-making and a culture of volunteerism to interactive artwork and even the collaborative construction of a city!

Note: this is an English translation of the original Italian case study that was first submitted by Maria Martinez on 01/19/2012, and which can be found at http://participedia.net/cases/progetto-ex-mercato-ortofrutticolo-bologna-italy

Problems and Purpose

The area of the old Farmer’s Market extends for more than 30 hectares to the north of the historical city of Bologna, and was abandoned after its activities moved to the Food Center.   

Note: this is an English translation of the original Italian case study that was first submitted by Luca Stigliani on 06/21/2011, and which can be found at http://participedia.net/cases/la-bottega-del-futuro-casamassima-italy.

Abstract