The purpose of this action is to harness the potential of neglected spaces so that they contribute to the well-being of citizens.
On 22 September, the kick-off meeting of the new COST action CA24134 entitled "Observatory of Innovative Strategies for Repurposing Terrain Vague" (OBSERVISTA) was held at the headquarters of the COST Association in Brussels, with the participation of senior lecturer from VERN' University, M. Sc. Hrvoje Belani , as a member of the action's steering committee.
The coordinator of this four-year project and the holder of the donation is the University of Westminster in London, and the president of the action is the experienced scientist and lecturer Dr. Krystallia Kamvasinou . The action currently brings together experts of various profiles from numerous universities, non-profit organizations, businesses and other research and public institutions from 25 European countries.
The aim of this action is to innovate the approach to empty urban spaces, known as “brownfields”, and to create a pan-European knowledge hub for innovative strategies for their conversion. In an era of rapid urbanization and environmental challenges, these neglected spaces represent unique opportunities for addressing pressing urban issues such as climate resilience, biodiversity loss and social inequalities. Through coordinated work, the participants of this action aim to develop a common language around brownfields, create guidelines and best practices for their conversion projects, and train a new generation of researchers and practitioners for innovative approaches to empty urban spaces.
Our researcher will be specifically involved in the work of the following working groups: WG1. Ontology and Terminology and WG2. Repurposing in practice . Namely, colleague Belani, in addition to many years of experience in scientific research and teaching, has also been professionally engaged in the development of e-health in Croatia for fifteen years, so his understanding of the needs for the repurposing of neglected areas will certainly contribute to the quality of the multidisciplinary work and the results of the research that will be conducted as part of this COST action. As he explained to us, for example, neglected areas could potentially, with the help of the Internet of Things and ontology for application in the areas of well-being, aging and health, become smart places for improving the well-being and health of citizens, especially the elderly.
COST actions are international research networks established and financed by an international non-profit organisation, the COST Association, and are characterised by a bottom-up approach, interdisciplinarity and openness. They enable researchers and innovators to share ideas, knowledge and experience, which can be achieved by participating in working groups, training courses, short scientific visits, conferences and seminars. Participation in the actions is open to all stakeholders in the Republic of Croatia who meet the conditions prescribed by the action in question and the national rules on the procedure for the nomination and selection of national representatives to the COST Actions Steering Committee, as prescribed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of the Republic of Croatia.
