The start of HUB-IN has received a warm welcome in all the pilot cities! Some of them spoke with local and national media about the project.
Belfast Lord Mayor Alderman Frank McCoubrey commented: “Hub-In offers us a really important opportunity to work with neighbouring communities on Belfast’s waterfront and right across the city; supporting them to develop entrepreneurial skills; stimulating digital innovation; and fostering new business opportunities to help transform the area into a dynamic maritime destination (…)All of this work will contribute to achieving the inclusive growth objectives we’ve set out in the Belfast Agenda and the Belfast Region City Deal, and builds community engagement as we work with citizens, SMEs, our local academic institutions and public sector to create a ‘Smart District’ as part of our wider Smart Belfast programme”. Read the full press release here
“The aim of the project is to create a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship for the transformation of historical activities in the historic area of Prè” explains Genova’s planning councillor Simonetta Cenci in the official press release of the municipality “it will involve co-designing innovative commercial activities with private individuals, supported by urban regeneration and events that will bring new users and tourists to the area…Prè will be able to attract inhabitants and tourists as a symbolic place, overcoming a sometimes negative image to establish itself more and more as a multicultural neighbourhood rich in tastes, flavours, relationships and narratives”.
Lisbon has welcomed HUB-IN as the logical next step the project “Sustainable Historic Neighbourhoods” (SUSHI), which began in September 2018 and ran until December 2020. Throughout the journey, the team realized the need to “overcome the silo approach” and “individual thinking in different departments of local entities”, said João Pedro Gouveia, researcher at the CENSE (Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research) at the NOVA School of Science and Technology – one of HUB-IN partners. In the end, it became evident that “the community must be placed at the centre of urban transformation”, as an “active participant in the process” and as “the main beneficiary of the expected change”. Lisbon will continue the work of SUSHI in the framework of HUB-IN, focusing on the historic urban area of Colina do Castelo, where Alfama and Mouraria are integrated.
In Romania, many information outlets at local and national level showed interest in the project and its potential to transform the city centre of Brasov. The project was also mentioned in the local television news and in the tv programme Secret of Brasov by Leea Mihala, Communication Manager for HUB-IN partner ABMEE “The project will help us regenerate and transform the city centre with innovation and entrepreneurship, but also foster a feeling of ownership among the locals and implement sustainability measures in that area”.
