So Stay Hotel was established by the Social Innovation Foundation in cooperation with the Municipality of Gdansk (PL) and business partners in 2016. The hotel was created to change the lives of young people who grew up outside of the family, in care homes. The innovative hotel's operational model - the first in Poland - combines a market approach with social responsibility. Young people gain qualification and experience under the guidance of professionals on the working site, which is highly valued in the open labour market. Youths participating in the employment programme are provided with housing support organised by the Foundation. This support gives young people opportunities to leave care facilities and start an independent, adult life.

At the starting point the practice shows how the three sectors can work together on meeting the challenges important to the city and the citizens. It is an example of a social enterprise where young people who have individual problems getting education and vocational training in the public school system can get qualifications on the work site while earning an income and starting an independent life. Supporting young people to succeed in adulthood prevents them from returning to the welfare system. Young people learn a profession and get their first professional experience under the guidance of professionals. They learn in real working conditions. Acquiring experience and practical skills allows them to gain a first job in the open market. At an early age they are given the opportunity to build a belief in work values and life responsibilities. Participation in the internship and first job programme at the hotel is also linked to housing assistance organised by the Foundation (assisted living). Individuals (trainee, apprentice, hotel worker) in difficult housing situations have the opportunity to rent accommodations on preferential terms, in premises managed by the Foundation. To secure this, the Foundation created a three-sector cooperation with the municipality and business which enables it to acquire apartments from the city's municipal resources, and repair and equip them in cooperation with business partners and young people themselves.

So Stay Hotel and the programmes combined with it (vocational training, job coaching, social housing) as a Good Practice refer to URBACT principles by the holistic approach in its mission and in the daily execution of this mission. It was designed and is managed now in the participatory, co-creative way involving civil, public and private sectors and the users into the whole process (public property managed by civil society organisation as a social enterprise, coached and mentored by business sector representatives and involving youngsters themselves). It aims to be the remedy for poverty combating and social exclusion of the socially challenged young people. It has an influence on physical, economic and social spheres of the city of Gdansk and is oriented for driving change in the city towards the sustainable urban living. So Stay Hotel is also an answer to Gdansk socio-economic strategy, especially social policy objectives. The motto of the hotel is “Responsible for Business - Responsible for Community”. This is an action field strengthening the development of urban community residents, creating opportunities and conditions for harnessing the potential of residents, regardless of their birth status and education.

The opening of So Stay Hotel was preceded by a three-year participatory process in which young people helped to shape the mentoring concept. Young people took part in the EU-funded project “POMOST na rynek pracy” (“Bridge to job market”) where they had an opportunity to take part in internship and skills development, as well as workshops, study visits and professional training. Study visits at the “Pan Cogito” hotel helped the young people to find out about the managerial competence needed to run a hotel. A team of five young people helped to create a working structure of So Stay and was the core of the first team of the hotel vocational training programme. Some people from this group have since found employment on the open labour market. Young people’s learning process during the planning, testing and creating phase of So Stay was crucial to developing the Hotel’s working frame as it is now. On the other hand representatives of the business sector, especially of the Craftsmen Chamber and restaurant owners, were supporting the Foundation to build a business model for this enterprise.

It has made a difference in the physical, economic and social spheres of the city life. Physical: an old, devastated building and its surroundings, located near the city centre, was regenerated and got a new image, raising the quality of public spaces in the neighbourhood. Social: after two years of operation the results are: • Five people have found employment on the open job market (outside of So Stay); • 10 people ages 16-18 have completed an internship programme and continue their formal education; • 10 people (50%) from the So Stay staff are employed in the professional development programme, including one person in a managerial position; • 12 young people are living independently, receiving slight non-financial support from the Foundation. Economic: the business model of So Stay Hotel and the social housing programme enables socially challenged youngsters to start their self-sufficient independent life without any support from the welfare system.

The practice will be interesting for other European cities due to its transferability, including: • The integrated approach to assisting young people in the transition to adulthood and independence (mentoring, paid internships, assisted living); • The integration of potential benefits in the business, civil and public sectors; • Cutting the operational costs of assisting young people and eliminating their dependency on social benefits and the welfare system; • A sustainable social business model.

The City Council of Esplugues (ES) follows a permanent policy of citizen participation. Municipal activity is open to citizens, based on the principles of transparency and shared responsibility. Citizens are invited to participate in the joint project of building the city. There are several spaces for such participation. Among them are the Children's Council and the Public Youth Audience. The first is a forum for fifth- and sixth-grade pupils in public schools. Here, children have the possibility to learn, reflect, discuss and agree on proposals related to their environment. The Public Youth Audience enables students in the fourth grade to take part in educational debates and make proposals for the transformation of the city. Both forums take into account a work plan developed in collaboration with schools and institutes, contributing to the young participants’ education, values and attitudes to citizen participation.

Until recently, cities were built through the eyes of adults. With the new mechanisms of participation it is intended that the construction of the city be adapted and enriched through the participation of young people and children, who live in and enjoy it. The results of the interventions of both groups (children and youth) as well as the proposals derived from the participation actions, which are transformed into municipal actions, are considered as solutions whenever possible and feasible. That is why a series of municipal actions have been carried out after the different participatory processes developed by the Children's Council and the Public Youth Audience. By the Children's Council: • Rights of minors; • Recovery of traditional games; • Party of park; • Design of a park; • 50th anniversary celebration “Esplugues City”; • Proposals to encourage reading for all citizens; • Design of kindergartens, “The garden of the senses”. By the Public Youth Audience: • Study on healthy habits; • Times and spaces for leisure; • Attitudes and values of entrepreneurship among young people; • Development of the Local Youth Plan; • Design of a campaign against sexist violence; • Actions, proposals to combat harassment/bullying; • Encouraging values and attitudes towards participation, association and voluntariness.

Regarding the wider integrated approach, the initiative is aligned with several of the United Nations’ sustainable development objectives. The activities carried out by Children's Council and Public Youth Audience mainly contribute to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels, relating to Goal 16 (promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provision of access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels). In addition, promoting children and youth participation makes the city more inclusive (Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable). Also, the experience of being part of these participation bodies represents a form of high-value non-formal education (Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning). In terms of integrated urban development, the initiative falls within the scope of governance, mainly related to areas such as city management, social innovation, youth, and above all participation. Related to the vertical integration between the different stakeholders involved in the initiative, this is mainly between the political and educational fields, so it is frequent that both the mayor herself and some councillors interact directly with children and young people.

Both the Children's Council and the Public Youth Audience are initiatives whose conception and development of activities necessarily contemplate the participatory approach. On the other hand, Esplugues Local Youth Plan 2014-2017 is based on three main axes: promotion of emancipation, fostering participation (including the Children's Council and the Public Youth Audience) and promotion of leisure and culture. In addition, for the definition of this plan an intense participatory process has been developed in which children and young people have played a fundamental role. Thus, different working sessions were developed using the participatory bodies that make up this good practice, and other workshops were held in local schools. The result of all this was the elaboration of a participatory diagnosis contemplated in the same plan, as well as the definition of a series of proposals of action that were sent to the government team of the City Council of Esplugues. The concrete results of this participatory process can be consulted here (in Catalan).

Most of the participatory experiences of young people and children have focused on the civic, pedagogical and educational sphere, perhaps due to the weight of this specific competency in the Municipal Action Plan (through activities such as “Making an Educating City” or “Building Citizenship”). It has also made progress in the implementation of specific urban and cultural projects. Concrete projects have been promoted, such as the construction of a children's playground. The participation workshops have identified as a weakness: • The lack of participatory culture among the citizens since there is usually a low interest to attend the meetings. It is proposed to increase the dissemination of participation systems to attract citizens. Highlights identified include: • The diversity of channels made available to citizens to participate in the decision-making processes on the issues that concern them and affect them. They are channels open to all citizens and do not discriminate against any person who wants to be part of it; • Citizens see their proposals reflected in the performance and municipal management.

Every city has children and young people. They could be the foundation for effective development at the local level, and if engaged they will improve many of the structural development challenges that the cities face today, including enhancing the cohesiveness of families and communities, reducing health risks and advancing livelihood opportunities. They are the bridge between effective development policy and valuable practical action on the ground. Across many European cities, different organisations are practicing different ways of engaging children and youth through participatory activities, and the experience accumulated from Esplugues would be useful both for those cities that have already begun to work in this direction, as for those that have not yet done so but are determined to do it. Children have value as members of European society and adults can learn from and with them. In summary, there are three main reasons why this good practice may be of interest to other European cities. Based on citizenship, young people have citizen’s rights and responsibilities. Based on pragmatism, it’s acknowledged that participation leads to better decisions. And based on vision, European cities have to recognise the mutual, life-enhancing benefits that come with engaging children and young people as equals.

Barcelona City Council's development agency launched the inclusive entrepreneurship model (IEM) in 2004 to make entrepreneurship a realistic option for everyone. Entrepreneurship is a way to create jobs and raise individuals’ economic and social autonomy. However, many barriers prevent many people from becoming entrepreneurs - particularly in specific groups, such as women, youth, and people over 45. Closely involving expert stakeholders, Barcelona Activa's IEM is “universal”, “tailor-made”, “blended”, “integrated”: it targets everyone willing to be an entrepreneur. Its tools and services are adapted for the most vulnerable population who may not benefit from conventional entrepreneurship services. It combines online and onsite tools and services, enabling people with time and mobility limitations to create their personalised itinerary to start-up. And it gives people who are not ready to start a company the possibility of training and coaching to improve their professional profiles. The model has supported 18 000 new companies, creating 32 000 jobs.

The IEM’s aim is to coach entrepreneurs from their business idea to the setting up of their company. It has four features: Universal: it is open to everyone. The first step to access the services is a welcome session where all the available tools are presented. 226 welcome sessions are held every year (both online and on-site). All the attendees are offered different services according to their needs. This includes personalised advice: a team of entrepreneurship experts coaches entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into feasible businesses with: • A set of on-line tools: an online toolkit to produce SWOT analyses of business ideas, well structured business plans, self-assessment of key entrepreneurial skills, and key information about legal procedures, access to funding and market intelligence; • Training seminars: entrepreneurs are offered training in those fields that are essential for the management of a new company, such as legal status and procedures, market research, financial plans, entrepreneurial skills. Blended: the combination of the on-site and online services provides the model with flexibility for those entrepreneurs facing mobility and time restrictions. Tailor-made: programmes designed for those groups that face specific hindrances due to their social/personal circumstances. Integrated: it has the ability to refer those who reach out to BA, but are not ready to start a business, to other services (i.e. those offered by employment or training departments).

The Inclusive Entrepreneurship Model is a genuine solution that mainly combines the economic and social dimension using physical and on-line channels to provide the services, offering both individual and group coaching and in cooperation with the city’s ecosystem. This approach makes it possible to reach a high critical mass but, at the same time, is flexible enough so that each individual can build his or her own path towards entrepreneurship. The model is implemented in permanent contact with the different stakeholders operating at economic and social levels in the city of Barcelona, which makes it possible to adapt to changes in the society and economy. These stakeholders include different levels of governance (Catalan government, Spanish government and European Union); the academic community (universities and research centres); the private sector (other companies, financial sector...). Thus, the model is based upon horizontal integrated interventions (economic, social) with vertical integrated interventions (cooperation with local stakeholders and different levels of governance). Furthermore, Barcelona Activa as a City Council agency is the closest level of administration to the citizens. It develops its activity in different areas of the city in collaboration with territory-rooted stakeholders as professional associations or third sector organisations. Because of this close collaboration, specific and newly raised needs are better detected.

BA acts as broker and connector: analyses, connects and “makes things happen”. While it has a wide vision of the reality of the city, it works closely with expert stakeholders to define the means of the IEM. There are different kinds of stakeholder collaborations in project development and implementation: • Cross-cutting partners for permanent services and events’ co-design: Barcelona Fair, Chamber of Commerce, business associations and workers associations take part in permanent activities and especially in the organisation of BizBarcelona, the biggest entrepreneurship event held (more than 300 organisations involved); • Co-development and implementation of sector-focused programmes: sector-focused promotion institutions, high schools, professional guilds or big business players act as experts and get first-hand connection to the newest and most promising ideas and startups of the sector within the sector-focused programmes; • Permanent connection to finance sources: Caixa Capital Risc, Microbank, Banc de Sabadell, as well as Business Angels and other investment platforms are in permanent connection and co-organise events together with BA, providing them with a flux of technically viable projects to invest in. Involvement is based on two pillars: • Connecting expertise, co-design programmes and avoid overlapping services. • Providing expert support for entrepreneurs with high degrees of specialisation.

The current entrepreneurship model started in 2004, although Barcelona Activa provided entrepreneurship support services from the very beginning of its activity, back in 1986. The main results of the model in the period between 2004 and 2016 are: more than 100,000 people participated in its services (3,800 of them in tailor-made programmes). This participation turned into 26,000 business plans coached and 18,000 companies created. Up to now, these companies have created 32,000 jobs. In OECD’s words (“The Experience of Barcelona: Promoting entrepreneurship, employment and business competitiveness,” 2009) the transformation of the economic structure of the city of Barcelona, from an industrial site into a knowledge-intensive hub, has been very successful. The agency has also encouraged entrepreneurship and business growth. Moreover, it has promoted the adaptation of the capacities and skills of the population to meet the new demands of employees, tackling unemployment. Today, the entrepreneurial and innovative environment that stimulates the creation of new small firms and the transformation of new ideas into businesses is still perceivable. In a nutshell, IEM is based on the idea that economic development has to be seen and projected as a means to achieve social welfare. With this purpose, BA takes people as a reference when designing and implementing its entrepreneurship support model.

The good practice would be interesting for other European cities because it is a tested approach to an unsolved common European challenge: “In the European Union, approximately 4 million jobs are needed to return to pre-crisis employment levels. Groups such as youth, women, seniors, ethnic minorities, and the disabled face particularly high risks of being marginalised in the labour market. Policies should leave no stone unturned in delivering a response, and one of the under-explored avenues is action for entrepreneurship and self-employment, targeted at disadvantaged and under-represented groups” (OECD/The European Commission (2013), The Missing Entrepreneurs: Policies for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe, OECD). Promoting inclusive entrepreneurship could be a strategic tool to fight against these problems, since stimulating successful business creation across all sections of society is an important requirement for achieving inclusive growth and reducing social and economic exclusion. Only 2.6% of the adult population in the EU were new business owners in the 2009- 2013 period (OECD). These rates decrease dramatically in groups of people with specific problems to become entrepreneurs. Across the EU, women are half as likely as men to be new business owners (1.8% vs. 3.5%); businesses run by young people tend to have lower survival rates; and older entrepreneurs (+45) tend to run only small companies. For this reason, IEM would be an interesting good practice in EU cities.

The problems of ageing, young people moving away and urban poverty are huge challenges in Kazincbarcika, one of Hungary's most underdeveloped regions. As a solution, a club of elderly people volunteered to help the young. The pensioners set up a series of workshops for kids from disadvantaged groups in a segregated district of the town. Based on their success, the events were extended to the whole town, coordinated by the family assistance service. Today, two to four people provide regular afterschool education one to three times a week for children aged 7 to 16. As a result, pupils are seeing improvements in their school performance and personal development. 15-25-year-olds can now also take part in “value transfer events”. What started as a small initiative has now led to cooperation between generations and local communities, which are included in the five basic principles of the town’s creative urban action plan “Kolorcity”.

In 2011, a new community house was realised under the integrated social, environmental rehabilitation programme in Herbolya, a segregated district of Kazincbarcika. The programmes and services had to be created, and people living there and NGOs of the town were involved in this work by the family assistance service of the municipality. Consequently, members of “Idővár” Pensioner Culture Club voluntarily started holding creative workshops connected to major celebrations and school holidays for disadvantaged children living in the district. Due to the success of the programme, the events have become regular since 2013 and spread to the whole town. The members of the club, mostly ex-teachers (coordinated by family assistance service workers), voluntarily dealt with 7- to 15-year-old disadvantaged children, mostly Roma, who had learning difficulties and were at risk of dropping out of school. Since then, the popularity of the events has been growing, and they are not limited to doing homework or rectifying insufficient knowledge, but they also provide mutual, confidential discussions and games. In this way, these events not only help the school career of children with learning deficiencies but also contribute to the well-being essential for their further studies and employment. It occurs in such a way that the retired generation voluntarily utilise their practical experience, knowledge through keeping children occupied, while spending their lives actively.

The cooperation of the older and younger generations, which developed from the revitalisation plan of the socially and environmentally deteriorated town district, was included in the integrated town development strategy. The programme, realised in 2011-12, included revitalising the town environment and public utilities, creating indoor and outdoor community spaces and providing educational, social and employment programmes. The initial, occasional programmes started by pensioners in the segregated districts became permanent and were extended to all residents of the town, especially disadvantaged children. In the programme, the local family assistance service coordinated between civilians, who give helping hands, and the involved target groups, namely disadvantaged families and children. Due to its success, the “Idővár” Pensioner Culture Club has extended its activities: it organises casual events for disabled people; a multiple-round settlement knowledge and historical competition was organised for primary and secondary schoolchildren. In 2014, a so-called value-transfer programme was launched on topics that youngsters are interested in (e.g. partner selection, celebrations, volunteering) together with La Cosa Nostra Ensemble, a youth organisation for the 15- to 25-year-old residents of the town. It is important to note that the pensioner club is not a legally registered organisation, and its members work on a totally voluntary basis.

In the beginning, the family assistance service of the municipality worked with local NGOs while the community program in Herbolya district was being planned. They jointly shaped the services and programs of the community house. Later, the family assistance service and “Idővár” Club planned the daily, afterschool educational events together. The family assistance service recruits children with special needs to the events via its connections to families living in difficult conditions. Kids like attending the event, where in response to their needs, confidence-building discussions take place, games are played, and, later, children are helped to rectify their learning defects. The cooperation with youngsters, schools and local youth organisations is independent of the municipal organisation.

After the initial uncertainties, the events held in Herbolya district were visited by more and more residents (80 to 150 people per event). After completing the pilot project, four to five events were organised a year. The events did not need to be promoted as children became familiar with the programme. The regular afternoon events organised in the city centre were launched in 2013. In the beginning, there were only a few attendees, but the occasions became more and more popular: in 2016, 600 afterschool events were held, and about 25 children attended regularly. As a result of the events, the youngster’s personalities have developed, their self-confidence has improved, their mental problems have been dealt with, and their school performance has improved substantially. (The number of class repetition cases has decreased.) Many of the youths see the educators as their substitute grannies, who, by being role models and by being together have a substantial impact. Two to four teachers lead the afternoon programmes one to three days a week. The success of the program has inspired pensioners to cooperate with other youth organisations, such as La Cosa Nostra Youth Organisation, and to organise further value-sharing events.

This initiative addresses a real social problem and provides solutions for the elderly to spend their time actively and usefully while supporting disadvantaged youngsters and families. It all started with the coordination of the municipality, later followed by programmes jointly organised with other youth organisations through a self-organising process. The good practice gives an example for the municipality’s coordinating/intermediary role, for the ways how the older generations and youngsters can cooperate (playhouses, supplementary learning, value-transferring programmes for the young), and turning the positive process started in the civil society into a system. Beyond organising cooperation between generations, they also provide profitable information about how youngsters from the disadvantaged groups should be dealt with individually.

The Living Library is an informal activity set up in Valongo (PT) for students from 14 to 18 years of age, with the slogan “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. The organisers took the concept of the Living Library held at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival in 2000, and adapted it for a school audience. It allows an informal and constructive dialogue between students and ‘Human Books’ – volunteers who are frequently the recipients of prejudices and stereotypes.
The Living Library also creates the opportunity to promote an interpersonal relationship between groups that are usually not able to interact. It enables participants to challenge their own stereotypes and prejudices in a structured, protected environment, and in a limited time. More than 4,200 young people have taken part since Valongo’s Living Library was launched in 2010, and the project has been extended to six schools.

The physical space is decorated just like a normal library. In the project there is an element of itinerancy, as it visits the different schools. Before the implementation of the activity, a meeting with a teacher takes place. During this meeting the necessary steps to prepare the activity in each class are explained. Afterwards, each teacher debates with the class the goals of the Living Library and prepares in advance some questions to present to the books. This ensures that the youngsters do not become blocked during the interaction with the Human Books. At the same time, NGOs are contacted and partnerships are made. These NGOs identify Human Books, volunteers who will participate in the project and will assume a stereotype. The Human Books should have personal experience, as well as technical and scientific preparation so that they are able to challenge stereotypes. To help them in this process, the municipality trains them and helps them to anticipate difficulties, problems, and how to face challenges. On the day the activity takes place, different Human Books are available to be read. There is a librarian who creates four sub-groups in each class, gives out the instructions, and makes sure the activity is evaluated. Each group talks to the Human Book, posing questions for about 20 minutes. When this period of time ends, the groups exchange Human Books and restart reading them. This process continues until every group has made contact with all the books.

Those of us who attempt to initiate programmes that promote intercultural dialogue are frequently faced with the challenge of coming up with something innovative. We are constantly looking for something that can attract the attention of many and make a real difference to those involved. The Living Library is an innovative approach to equality and diversity because it addresses the broad subject of prejudice without emphasising one specific case over others. At the same time, it manages to successfully navigate around some of the sensitivities that accompany anti-prejudice work, while maintaining an element of fun and interaction that makes the project immensely appealing to both potential organisers and participants. The Living Library, implemented since 2010, is a way to help young people reflect about the world, equality and interculturality. It is also an excellent opportunity to deconstruct stereotypes, to develop self-awareness about the importance of cultural diversity, interculturality, plural democracy and human rights. It also allows the sharing of life stories and experiences, the aids to the fight of multiple discrimination and sensitises youngsters to the importance of social diversity and human rights.

The Living Library is a project that was strongly supported by the National Mechanism for Immigration. It is only possible because of the participation of different stakeholders: schools, NGOs (ACAPO – blind and nearsighted people; Associação Luso-Africana Pontos Nos Is – immigrants; ILGA – gay, lesbian, transgender people; MEDesTu – intercultural and interreligious; Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – cancer survivors; Centro Hospitalar S. João – hospital that cooperates with us to identify people with mental disease; AMI – poverty and homeless volunteers, as well as volunteers who are able to share the importance of human rights to the fabric of our democracies and the responsibility of the individual citizen in realising abstract human rights in his or her everyday life. This is achieved by creating a safe environment for Readers and Books to engage in open dialogue whose explicit aim is to discuss topics that in almost any other setting would be considered too delicate. At the Living Library these discussions are possible, indeed, they are surprisingly easy. Becoming one half of that exchange is a rare privilege and one that leaves no one who experiences it unaffected.

Some of the results of the project are:

• Sensitisation and raising awareness regarding different issues that indirectly contribute to the increase of intercultural competence;
• The creation of opportunities as well as of non-traditional ways of fostering intercultural discussion and how to challenge stereotypes;
• The dissemination of the potential, difficulties and culture of migrant communities among non-traditional target audiences and different age groups;
• The promotion of dialogue between different actors of organised and non-organised civil society in Valongo;
• The deconstruction of stereotypes regarding ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, disability, etc;
• The promotion of interculturality issues in the local community, especially through media;
• The high level of satisfaction of participants in qualitative questionnaires (the average results vary between 4.9 and 5 on a scale of up to 5 points, in which 1 is the lowest and 5 the highest);
• School communities consider the Living Library one of the most interesting activities implemented in schools. Other quantitative results are:
• Six schools were involved in 2010 and eight in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016;
• More than 10 volunteers were present at each Living Library edition;
• Since 2010 more than 4,200 youngsters have participated in the project.

This programme has been recognised for its efforts to address discrimination by breaking down stereotypes and promoting interculturality. What began as a project of three schools and 150 students has now spread to six schools, more than 800 students each year and engages at least 10 volunteers – an impressive record in this small city and new immigrant gateway. The Living Library has been recognised by the National Mechanism for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue as a best practice and is being replicated across Portugal in cooperation with NGOs such as Pontos Nos Is and Amizade de Leste. The methodology was also recognised as a good practice by the following entities:

• Inclusion of the Living library in the European Web Site on Integration – 2013, a European Commission initiative that targets people who work in the integration field and promotes the exchange of good practices;
• Inclusion of the Living Library in the booklet of Good Practices in the Porto Metropolitan Area – 2013, a document that gathers good practices identified as innovative and socially entrepreneuring;
• Recognition as a good practice by the International Association of Education Cities at the congress that took place in Rosario, Argentina, in 2016. Transferability, easy implementation and low budget are some of the reasons why it has been considered a good practice by many institutions.

In 2012/2013 the City of Poznań (PL) and its company Poznań Social Housing Association (PTBS) decided to create an affordable housing programme, “Apartments for Graduates”, to meet the needs of university graduates and retain young talent in the city. The combination of affordable pricing and good conditions resulted in a very high - and continuing - demand for flats in the programme. 
Tenants are chosen on the basis of several selection criteria: they should be university graduates who graduated within the last five years, they must not be more than 36 years old, and should not own any other apartment in Poznań. They must work in or run a business in Poznań and pay taxes there. There is also an upper and a lower income limit. Each person can rent a flat for up to 10 years. 
In the first wave of recruitment there were 250 applicants, and later about 130. 

The programme functions on the basis of a rental housing model and tenants have to cover the costs: repayable participation in the apartment development costs, rent and a reimbursable deposit. For qualified applicants (recent university graduates no older than 36 and within the income limits, who do not own other property in Poznań but work and pay taxes in the city), the programme combines affordable pricing and very good conditions. The residential estate, which is aimed at university graduates, includes 4 residential buildings with 143 apartments, including 77 one-room and 66 two-room flats. In the area there are also two underground garage areas.

Apartments for Graduates is part of a sustainable housing system encompassing many social groups, i.e. the elderly, youth, the poor… Owing to the well-thought-out system, the solutions offered for each of the groups are best suited for their needs. However, creating housing especially for one group does not create social exclusion. For example, in the housing estate for the elderly there is also a kindergarten for mentally disabled children. The area of the housing estate for young people is located close to the green areas. It is well served by public transport and by bicycle lanes, which encourages them to use more sustainable forms of transport. The programme aims to create good housing conditions for young people, but it contributes to the overall development of the city as it boosts its economic and social development by providing new employees and creating a lively neighbourhood.

The work preparation for the investment on Palacza Street began in 2011. The city considered the possibility of the developer system: renting (without the right to buy), renting with the buyout right or selling the ground and using the money obtained to finance investment in another locality. At the turn of 2012 and 2013 a decision was made to use the area on Placza Street in Poznań for rental housing. In 2012 the Department of Investment and Real Estate of the Poznań University of Economics and Business published a monograph concerning the issue of housing needs of clients on the local real estate market and how those needs are addressed (exemplified by the situation of Poznań). The monograph was a result of the research carried out on this subject. In 2013 Propertus – a student research club – invited representatives of PTBS to a conference where students presented results of their own research on the current housing situation for young people and their housing preferences. Also the City of Poznań ran a survey among the potential beneficiaries – employees of Poznań City Hall and its institutions. The research and information gained from young people who contacted PTBS provided a basis for the rules of the Apartments for Graduates programme.

The programme makes it possible to increase the quality of life of young people and help them to become more independent. It enables them to settle in Poznań, which stops the negative migration trend. The lease period of 10 years helps young people to become financially independent because they get help at the beginning of their careers. This stability is helpful in setting up a family. The rent is appropriate for the financial situation of young people and the surface area and location of the apartments suit their needs. The location of Palacza Street is very convenient, within walking distance (5 minutes) of public transportation (bus and tram stops). The city centre can be reached in 10 minutes by car or in 15 minutes by tram. The area is located next to the city park. The city forest Lasek Marceliński can be reached by a bike lane. In the neighbourhood there is also an astronomy dome where citizens can take part in lectures and sky watching. The infrastructure of the neighbourhood is also very good. There is a school and a kindergarten and numerous shops and services. Owing to the above-mentioned reasons the area is exceptional: full of light and greenery and at the same time close to the city centre and its well-developed infrastructure.

Many cities in Eastern and Western Europe have already shown interest in the programme. They have asked about the details of the programme: its assumptions, finances, rules and eligibility. The partners from the Gen-Y City network were particularly interested in the project because the aim of the network is to retain young people in the City and determine what should be done to make the city more attractive for them. The findings of many cities were that affordable housing is something that attracts young people. The Apartments for Graduates programme is so appealing because it focuses solely on young people. It suits their needs and creates a community of people with similar life situations and attitudes. Moreover, the target group is university graduates, people with a good educational background who are potential employees for local companies. There is also a trend of young people emigrating to smaller towns or cities. They can travel and simultaneously work off-site. The programme can be a good way of development for medium-sized cities which face the negative migration trend. The programme is an example of a project that many people can benefit from and it can be applied to many different cities because its extent can be adapted to the city’s size, number of students and financial situation.

QUIsSI Gioca! is a pilot project for the re-use of playful urban green areas, overseen by the municipality of Macerata (IT), encouraging participatory methodologies and integration. It relates to a public green area in the Quartiere Pace, a neighbourhood with a high number of immigrants, a junior high school, municipal and private child-care centres, and a primary school. The purpose was to rethink this area, highly frequented by children, and rich in cultural diversity.
The project explored co-management of the green space, a different concept of security, the creation of aggregation contexts, and social inclusion. It involved building games, and defining spaces together with inhabitants. This first operation gave start to QUIsSICRESCE, a participatory planning project to improve the outdoor space of five municipal child-care centres, to share a different approach to outdoor education.

The starting project was divided into six self-construction dates during which the participants have achieved together a playful device, starting from the track on the ground of a square, the labyrinth. The Association Les Friches has played a role in facilitating the dialogue. The materials were selected from those stored in the municipal nursery: all natural (wood and stone) or recovered from older games, furniture, floors or green areas fencing, from pruning or removal of hazardous trees. In collaboration with the Meridiana social cooperative, and with the support of the environment technical office, it has organised the construction site, planned jobs to support activities with the children and done the work of making the area safe. We tried to work together, with appropriate approaches, with all the children according to age groups. The same approach was then applied in green areas of the five municipal child-care centres through a two-year process of participatory planning, training and self-training which involved the teachers, parents, local administrators and technicians. The project has initiated a process of change still in place, following five steps carried out in the first year: World Cafè, report, planimetry, planning.

The project is an example of an integrated approach to problem solving because the actions undertaken have involved a number of issues and aspects, which not only aim to rethink and respect the environment and public space, but also to set in motion a participatory dynamic, forward-looking city, a future of dialogue and discussion to a participatory and responsible community. From an economic and environmental sustainability point of view, the project has led to the redevelopment of public green spaces, without building large fixed structures but rather based on the existing environmental and focusing on its potential. The playful devices were made with materials selected from among those stored in municipal nursery: all of natural origin (wood and stone) or recovery, thus ensuring a low economic and environmental sustainability impact. In terms of social sustainability, that process has created a community around a green space through the exchange of ideas in which all citizens had the right to participate. The community that has formed feels responsible for the care and respect of the space. In the project, participation and collaboration included more levels of relationships: the child, the educator, the family, citizenship, the immigrant population and the political, technical and administrative staff of the Municipality of Macerata.

From the earliest stages of the project, the participation of parents and educators has been essential. The people involved were invited to reflect on outdoor education and have strengthened the relationships between parents and educators. They created an important working group, which despite different knowledge and languages, had a common objective: the well-being of the child. One constant was the involvement of technicians, managers and directors in choosing the project for each child-care centre in the light of ideas and suggestions arising from meetings with parents and educators. Periodically educators, parents and an educational coordinator would meet to share project activities and learn about the progress. A meeting of the collective has also been extended to political and administrative figures, schools and child-care centres. The project is also very focused on communication, creating a network that relies on social media, the web and e-mail.

From a social and environmental point of view, the tangible results were the respect and attention of the citizens and public administration for the public area of the neighbourhood. The sharing and use of this place has strengthened the relationships among those who live here, and stimulated the sense of community. Sharing a path and a plan, along with direct participation have created a community that cares about the place, making it a safe space for people of different ages and cultures. For each child-care centre, an intervention has been chosen to be carried out within the first year of the project. To date, the project has produced very positive results, showing the need for stakeholders to think of a child's growth and development needs in new ways. There are many changes taking place in the child-care centres: a closer relationship of trust between educators and parents, a desire to use more and better outdoor facilities, leading to the introduction of new materials and the creation of experiential contexts, a path based on observation and documentation of small transformations. Number of requalified spaces: 5 surfaces totalling 4352,00 sq.m. Number of children involved: 186 Number of families: 186 (about 558 people) Associations, organisations involved: Gus, la Meridiana, Cosmari

The project has already been replicated in other small towns in our territory. The project has enjoyed great recognition thanks to its selection in the “Space Stories” of the international conference "Education, Earth, Nature", a conference for introducing new tools and educational strategies to increase in children the feeling of being part of an ecosystem. It also promoted respectful behaviour towards the environment and at the same time helping them to achieve well-being, skills and independence. In fact it is an increasingly common practice, one in which the recipients of individual interventions are the protagonists of a process designed to promote sociality, relational skills and building a shared socio-cultural identity, regardless of cultural contexts of origin. The experience was also shared in the national network S.L.U.R.P (Spazi Ludici Urbani a Responsabilità Partecipata), in which the association Les Friches has been included since 2012. The network involves local residents (and especially children) in design, implementation and management, and is based on a principle of "shared responsibility".

"In a social context, the orchestra is a tool to foster social inclusion," said José Antonio Abreu, a musician and former Minister of Culture of Venezuela, who sees the orchestra as a cooperative "company". Musica in Gioco (Music in Play) is based on Abreu's "El Sistema" method. It presents a children's orchestra as a solution to the social unrest of young generations living in the urban context. 
Supported by the Municipality of Adelfia (IT), the Musica in Gioco association set up a teaching experiment that offers free musical instruments and lessons to children living in the town. Most of the young orchestra members experience social hardship or suffer from disabilities (autism, dyslexia, Down syndrome). To be part of Musica in Gioco, every child makes a pact with the orchestra: to practice their instrument for 15 minutes a day and attend all rehearsals.

Musica in Gioco is composed of three orchestras, working on two repertories: classical music and street band. The First Orchestra is composed of 60 children (12-16 years old). They are the first young people who started this experience in Adelfia, in 2010, so they are now at an advanced level; the second one is composed of 80 children (7-11 years old), the third is composed of 20 children (3-6 years old). The instruments and music lessons are completely free, but the children have two tasks: practicing with the instrument for 15 minutes a day and attending all rehearsals. The learning methodology is not based on an evaluation of results, but on each child’s level of engagement and participation. In fact the orchestra is proposed not as a learning space, but as a community space, where children can experiment together by playing music in a “cooperative learning” dimension. This is because the methodology is based on the development of motivation that consists of three defined passages: first, experiencing on the instruments, the child will enjoy; second, practicing with the instrument, the child will obtain results; third, playing in a concert, the engagement of the child will be recognised by the community. This means that the child becomes aware that by motivation and engagement, all people can have the same opportunity regardless of social and health conditions. In this way Musica in Gioco supports the city in spreading the culture of legality and of social inclusion

Musica in Gioco has been developed on an integrated approach. It aims at the social inclusion of disadvantaged children through music education and through the development of specific competencies in music for those who want to find a job in the music sector. The orchestras are accessible to children living in Adelfia. Priority is given to children referred by the social service administration and the schools, coming from poor families or with previous criminal convictions. Moreover, some members of the orchestras are children with physical disabilities. Finally, other members belong to the middle class. In order to develop professional competencies, six teachers from the Conservatorio Nicolò Piccinni, the music academy in Bari, have been involved in managing the orchestra at advanced level (12-16 years old), in order to propose a free course, with a teaching programme similar to that offered to students attending the Conservatorio. Furthermore some children of the above mentioned orchestra, with a specific economic disadvantage, have the opportunity to be tutors of younger children, paid with a small grant. The integrated approach tackles social exclusion through cooperative learning and peer education methodologies, and at the same time it improves real skill in music, in order to improve socio–educational and professional development, thus creating the basis for future employment in the music sector, while contributing to the reduction of economic and cultural poverty.

Musica in Gioco is supported by a network composed of local and regional institutions, civil society and private stakeholders. It started the orchestra activity in Adelfia in 2010, thanks to the support of Teatro Kismet Opera in Bari. The Municipality of Adelfia, as a local institution that endorses Musica in Gioco, has made an old palace available as a headquarters, and it provides heating and electricity. Furthermore, there is an important collaboration with the social service administration, which identifies the children with economic and social problems to be involved in the orchestra. The musical instruments have been bought thanks to the sponsorship of a consortium of 60 private companies (Consorzio Costellazione Apulia). The six teachers directing the orchestras as volunteers are official teachers at the Conservatorio Niccolò Piccini in Bari. Every year, the Apulia Region grants an economic contribution in order to enlarge the orchestras to new children. Musica in Gioco is a member of Sistema delle Orchestra e dei Cori Giovanili e Infantili in Italia, a non-profit network of young orchestras and choirs that permits Musica in Gioco to promote itself nationally and internationally and to organise concerts. Last but not least, the involvement of private citizens is crucial; specifically, the parents of children who are members of the orchestras care for the cleaning of classrooms and bathrooms and cater for all products for cleaning and personal hygiene.

Musica in Gioco started its activities in Adelfia in 2010. In 2012 it had an orchestra of 60 children. Today it has 3 orchestras of 160 members. In 2016 the Municipality of Adelfia and the Musica in Gioco association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): Adelfia provides a headquarters to the orchestras, whereas the Social Services together with the schools identify the young people and children to be part of the orchestras. Over the last two years, thanks to the project “Harmonies to Health in the Schools” by Musica in Gioco, 20 primary school teachers from Adelfia have been trained in El Sistema Abreu, and 70 students have been trained as a school orchestra that has performed in a final concert. Together with the Sistema delle Orchestra e dei Cori Giovanili e Infantile in Italia, some components of the orchestras of Musica in Gioco have had performances in Italy, the most important of which was the Christmas concert in 2016 at Palazzo Madama before Sergio Mattarella, president of Italy (click here to see more) Social Services, supported by the schools, are now monitoring the impact of the activities implemented. We underline that, after the signature of the MoU, 80% of the young people involved are still playing in the orchestras and their parents participate as volunteers. Moreover, as documented by a resolution of Apulia Region, in the Municipality of Adelfia there is an increase in requests to join the orchestras.

Musica in Gioco is being proposed as a good practice because it contributes to social inclusion and to reducing poverty. Social inclusion is the 9th Thematic Objective of EU Strategy 2020; the goal of EU policy is to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 28 countries, thereby creating a more inclusive society. In EUROSTAT statistics (December 2016) we find the following data: in 20 of 28 EU Member States, children are at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion than the total population, with a rate of 26.9%. The highest rate has been observed in Romania, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Slovakia. The main factors affecting child poverty are the labour market situation of the parents (linked to their level of education), the effectiveness of government intervention through income support and the provision of enabling services; there are also more vulnerable groups of children, such as those with migrant parents. Different percentages, different contexts, but the same challenges for European urban areas. The results obtained by Musica in Gioco practice are evident about the number of children involved and the participatory approach in an Italian town. In Italy, the rate of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion is very high: 28.7% of all Italian children up to 17 years old (EUROSTAT 2017). This means that it could be an interesting good practice to be implemented in other EU cities where, as just described, the rates are higher.