T-Factor was a European project under the H2020 research and innovation programme that brought together a varied consortium of twenty-five members from fourteen countries and seven pilot cities over four years up until May 2024. These cities, Bilbao, Lisbon, Amsterdam, London, Milan, Kaunas and Shanghai, served as dynamic laboratories, encouraging experimentation, innovation and collective learning for exploring the transformative potential of temporary use strategies in urban regeneration.
The tendency to use so-called temporary uses as tools of transformation and urban regeneration is on the rise all over the world. Vacant buildings, plots and unused spaces are being increasingly converted into temporary sites for collaborative experimentation. This transformation is bringing about a multitude of cultural, social and entrepreneurial activities. These initiatives often have a key role in the creation of public value assets for the city and in rewiring the social, cultural and economic fabrics of urban areas under redevelopment and regeneration. In many cases, they are well positioned to become permanent fixtures of local landscapes, acting as prototypes of future uses or urban and social solutions
Further Information T-Factor Web: https://www.t-factor.eu/
The strategy of Bilbao’s pilot project focussed on collaboration between three higher education centres (Mondragon Unibertsitatea, University of Deusto and the IED-Kunsthal School of Design), cultural and creative initiatives of the island, local members of T-Factor (Espacio Open, Tecnalia and Bilbao Ekintza) and some of the European partner organisations (UOC, TUDO, UAL, ANCI Toscana, LAND). Together, we created a community of practice that conceptualised, designed and built three temporary spaces on the Isle of Zorrotzaurre with the direct involvement of students from local schools and colleges at all stages.
As part of this collaboration, «innovative study plans» were co-designed and incorporated into the official study plans of a number of subjects. These study plans enabled young students to acquire practical experience that allowed them to address social and environmental matters through the co-creation of these spaces.
The conferences, workshops and activities resulted in thirty design prototypes of urban spaces, with the manufacture and installation of three of these, involving 110 students, 20 professionals from the world of design and social innovation and 42 participations by local residents who took part in the co-creation activities at different times.