The ‘Novi Sad 2021’ Foundation presented four locations in our city that are the part of the ‘New Places – Mikrogranting’ Project with the support of the Idea company, initiated in order to revive neglected spaces in the neighbourhoods of Novi Sad with small urban interventions and innovative ideas, as well as to create ‘new places’ where citizens of Novi Sad can enjoy.
From September, citizens have been working on landscaping of spaces and set urban furniture in order to revive the neighbourhood at the location of ‘Old Sandbox’, which was officially ‘opened’ in the yard between Branimira Ćosića and Turgenjeva Streets yesterday. CEO of the ‘Novi Sad 2021’ Foundation, Mr Nemanja Milenković stressed that the project is very important for the city, especially for the citizens who actively participated in management of the space they live in.
‘Without citizens, their suggestions, proposals and ideas, we would not be able to foster the culture of togetherness. It proved that such culture lives in our city. The proof was our wish to involve public and private sector in this projects as well – such as Idea, city institutions and the City of Novi Sad, as well as non-governmental organisations. Citizens created small urban spaces within the ‘New Places – Mikrogranting’ project, from the idea to its implementation, i.e. something we see today. In this manner, not only they unified in order to embellish public space, but to create some kind of urban public space. They created their own culture’, said Mr Milenković.
Mr Dalibor Rožić, member of the City Council in charge of culture, agreed that Novi Sad is the city that fosters culture of togetherness and diversity: ‘From the perspective of strategic frame of the City Administration of Culture, the ‘New Places’ project is the perfect example of decentralisation of cultural events from one side and participation of citizens on the other side, i.e. their involvement in the processes important for development of cultural sectors’. He added that he sees the ‘New Places’ as the spaces for new cultural contents that will be implemented in the following period, stressing that he hopes for more similar projects.
Besides the support from the city of Novi Sad, management of these four locations was supported by the brand Idea, which tends to be a good neighbour and help local community. Ms Nataša Pavlović, Marketing Director of the Idea Company announced that cooperation will continue within socially responsible projects that promote culture, as well as other segments of life in Novi Sad through the ‘We Believe in Idea’ campaign.
After the ‘Old Sanbox’ location, the ‘Novo Kulturno Naselje’ organisation presented the idea of the ‘Park amongst Birch Trees’ project in the yard between Braća Dronjak and Bata Brkić Streets. Bikers gathered at the ‘Bici Oasis’, project of the ‘Eko Kurir’ organisation, the first bikers’ rest location in Novi Sad, at the sunny quay near the Rectorate, while they demonstrated cycling skills at the ‘Pumptrack Poliyon’, project implemented according to the proposal of the ‘Invicta Bike’ Association, at the corner of Podunavska and Heroja Pinkija Streets in Telep.
The ‘New Places – Mikrogranting’ open call received 67 ideas for small urban interventions in Novi Sad. 18 were chosen, 11 of which were implemented through voluntary work in Novi Sad, six in the municipality of Beočin and one in the municipality of Irig. Selected projects made changes to public spaces and become new places where citizens of Novi Sad and Zone 021 can enjoy.
