Culturans Approach

WHO ARE WE

Culturans helps create thriving cities and communities through the power of arts & culture.

We advance local development internationally by democratizing the tools and outcomes of:
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+ Urban Innovation
+ Creative Economies
+ Civic Engagement & Education

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+ Urban Innovation
+ Creative Economies
+ Civic Engagement & Education

OUR PEOPLE ᗒ

our creative citizens approach

We bridge artistic imagination, scientific curiosity, and community identity to change mindsets and address public issues at the heart of where human connections begin the social fabric of a city.

Our vision of the social fabric spans hemispheres, cultures, and sectors - connecting grassroots organizations and communities, scientific research institutions, and local governments.

Our methods, programs, and solutions foster collaboration, enable holistic perspectives on real-world issues, build capacity and outstanding talent, and improve the way life is experienced in every community and place.

OUR WORK ᗒ

Looking back to create better cities now

Our practice is driven by the Creative Citizens™ approach, inspired by the Italian Renaissance of the 15th century, through the lens of a bold, proven social innovation system that produced cities of beauty, prosperity, and well-being.
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This approach draws on the lessons of such a creative urban system to respond to the challenges and futures of today's cities on a human scale —integrating the production of urban solutions with participatory programs that empower citizens through art, science, and community principles.

OUR WORK ᗒ

Inspiring Creative Citizens for a Green Renaissance.

FROM

CREATIVE CITIZENS PROTOCOLS

— APPROACH —

The Creative Citizens approach focuses on the connection between people and place, and is driven by a dialogue between:
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ART —the generative power of imagination, experience and creative industries;
SCIENCE —the transformative power of curiosity, knowledge and research; and
COMMUNITY —the inclusive power of social participation, collaboration and civic culture.

— METHOD —

By articulating diverse forms of knowledge, participation, and creativity, this approach results in an adaptive, scalable methodology that brings together everyday citizens and experts to address local problems, generate ideas and visions, and prototype innovative solutions aimed at broader goals of public well-being.

— MODEL —

This approach helps to understand, imagine, design, and test solutions for sustainable communities and cities at the human scale - linking the small and local to the global and strategic vision of sustainability according to the character, history, and future story of each city.

impactful
URBAN SOLUTIONS

TAKE THE FORM OF

• CO-CREATION, PARTICIPATORY DESIGN AND LIVING LABS
• SOCIAL RESEARCH & CREATION OR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
• CREATIVE CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING
• PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND CIVIC FORUMS
• SOCIAL & CIVIC INCUBATION PROGRAMS

• CULTURAL SPACES, PUBLIC ARTWORKS & PLACEMAKING
• URBAN DESIGN & PUBLIC SPACE ARCHITECTURE
• REPURPOSED ABANDONED SPACES RUN BY NEIGHBORS
• SOCIAL & CREATIVE ENTERPRISES LINKED TO THE CITY
• ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATION ACTIONS AND EVENTS
• SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Cities as laboratories of the future, now.

This approach empowers

CITIES MADE BY ORDINARY CITIZENS: A CIVIC CREATIVE ECONOMY

The social innovation system of 15th-century Renaissance cities empowered ordinary citizens to develop extraordinary talents and knowledge that contributed to the betterment of their society.

The public works of art, urban designs, policies, scientific inventions, and creative enterprises that emerged from grassroots innovation laboratories - the Bottegas - supported by visionary urban governance invested in the city, shaped a creative economy that transformed disadvantaged, troubled cities into models of beauty, prosperity, and well-being.

Creative Citizens translates these lessons into a practical, collaborative way to bridge the grassroots with the city level, integrating education, research, production, and social entrepreneurship to foster thriving, livable, and lovable cities.

CREATIVE CITIZENSHIP

"Creative citizenship" is not an ID card —it is a way of life that empowers citizens to use their creativity to shape and improve their cities.

Citizens are more than consumers, voters, and taxpayers; they can also be problem solvers and value creators for their communities and environment.

This creative power is not limited by nationality, geography, or skin color —it is a core human experience that can be harnessed as a tool to build community-based, better urban futures.

A GREEN RENAISSANCE

The Creative Citizens approach is driven by a broader imagination of what a Green Renaissance for a new, thriving relationship between cities, people and nature might entail in the face of the current climate crisis and the role of cities in it.

This means embracing ecosystems and non-human life forms as an integral part of what cities are, both within and on their fringes, raising the question of cities as living entities, and strengthening the role of culture in connecting the science and practice of environmental action to everyday citizens.

GLOBAL URBAN COOPERATION & CREATIVE GOVERNANCE

Imagine cities as territories of solutions and ideas created by a network of citizens across the globe and across space and time.

The Creative Citizens approach is driven by a vision of a collaborative fabric of city makers that spans eras, hemispheres, cultures, sectors, and disciplines - building cooperation bridges from civil society to grassroots, academia, government, and industry.

OUR WORK ᗒ