An action within the project „Actopolis. The Art of Action / Bucharest-Sud. Build your own city!”
We asked the inhabitants of the southern part of Bucharest would would they do if they were mayors. Moreover, we invited in the mayor’s office all those people who at least once asked themselves “What can I do for my city?” The mobile office was specially designed to inspire people to make decisions that can transform the city into a city belonging to the people.
Bucharest is famous for being a massive amalgamation, but its northern part is by far more famous and privileged, while the south is almost like another city. A hidden area, difficult to reach, with social and infrastructural imbalance, but also a part of the city with great diversity, with good, alive places, with a discreet but authentic potential.
Foto: © Radu Malașincu
Why wouldn’t it become the best ground for civic involvement, for different urban visions and for a responsible exercise of imagination? We played around, imagining the south of Bucharest as a city in its own right. We built a mobile mayor’s office that we installed in three public places. The chance to become mayors was offered not only to the nearby residents, but also to the rest of the capital’s citizens.
The 10-minute mandates happened in the following locations and days:
- Monday, May 23rd, 12.00. – 19.00: in front of the former cinema Flamura, across Flamura Park and “Toporasi” tram stop
- Thursday, May 26th, 12.00. – 19.00: entrance in Sebastian Park, across Kaufland, “Vulcan” bus stop 173
- Saturday, May 28th, 12.00. – 19.00: Piata Sudului, in front of the store Big Berceni, next to the Metro station
Those who did not want mandates asked questions, made suggestions, wrote down ideas. We have gathered all to outline a possible future for Bucharest-South.
Mayor for 10 minutes was a civic and cultural exercise, designed and dedicated to the citizens.
“Bucharest South. Build your own city!” is a project happening in several phases, managed by Goethe-Institut Bucharest, tranzit.ro/Bucharest and Zeppelin, and part of the international program ‘Actopolis. The Art of Action’, an urban laboratory and a multi-disciplinary platform which takes place in South-Eastern Europe and in the Ruhr region of Germany.
Details about “Bucharest South. Build your own city!” can be found here.
Details about “Actopolis. The Art of Action” here
Project team: Ștefan Ghenciulescu, Raluca Voinea, Cosmina Goagea, Constantin Goagea, Daniela Pălimariu, Mihai Duțescu, Iuliana Dumitru, Vlad Petri, Evelin Hust, Oana Lăpădatu, Marius Weber, Dragoș Dragnea, Andrei Ferche.
