WHO
MTDM (MT developer company) and LAMA (in charge of temporary uses design and management)
WHAT
During the first year of Manifattura Tabacchi regeneration project in Florence, a consultation process in the neighbourhood run by MTDM (MT developer company) and LAMA (in charge of temporary uses design and management) was done at the beginning of summer 2018.
More than 3000 postcards were compiled by the local citizens revealing their expectations around the regeneration project. The major themes revealed have been more spaces with green and social areas. This inspired an event dedicated to the theme of sustainability: God is green, a two weekends festival that took place in September, dedicated to families and green practices within the context of the broader programme “Summer in Florence” promoted by the Municipality of Florence.
The festival proved to be successful, with high levels of citizen participation and with an important involvement of local experts and organisations, from local hacktivists committees and fab labs running air quality sensors self construction workshops with citizens, to local makers, artisans and cultural associations offering labs on innovative sustainable practices, sustainable lifestyles and creativity for children and for adults.
Considering its success, God is Green has been replicated several times as a festival format in the following years of the meanwhile program in Manifattura Tabacchi.
HOW
During the festival, art installations, artistic performances, social dinners, blind food tastings, green design market, DJ sets, contemporary circus, street food, bicycle rides, workshops for children and workshops to design new community models have been organized. For this occasion, some hives were installed on the roof, intended to show urban beekeeping as an alternative form of honey production.
REFERENCES
GOD IS GREEN e vive alle Cascine
Video (of second edition in 2019) :