Self-Organizing Urban Initiatives: Actors and Practices of Creative Transformation of the City Anna Zhelnina Alexandra Nenko Research and Study Group ‘Creative City’ National Research University – Higher School of Economics

Right to the city, environment as a source for creativity, and bottom-up artistic initiatives New forms of public space – Lofts – Coworking – Multi-functional creative spaces – Temporary interventions New actors in urban transformation – guerilla urban activists – Street artists, “socially responsible” artists – activists

Bottom-up transformation of urban space by the means of art New actors – new visions of comfortable urban spaces Graffiti, guerilla gardening, do-it-yourself modifications Role of the social and political context of transformation Dynamic, networked character of initiatives

Research Group “Creative City” Mapping initiatives in St Petersburg Studying the professional biographies and networks of activists What are the different ways to (creatively) claim the right to the city? Creativity as a resource of counter-public(s)?

“Creative Initiatives” Non-governmental Active in urban modification in different forms: – Direct action (street art; DIY-marathon) – Education and multiplication of ideas (educational loft; networks of “creative professionals”) – “Creative spaces” hosting various events