Creating the public space for and by the senior citizens

The article was based on the findings and experiences that emerged throughout the project “Seniors decide – public dialogue of the senior citizens in Krakow”. It focuses on the subject of public space in relation to the life conditions and civic participation of senior citizens in the city. Desk research and focus group research enabled the analysis of the programs addressed to the senior citizens in the Krakow Commune. The workshops with senior citizens and the usage of the “walking diagnosis” method served to reveal the potential of the elder to analyze and infl uence the city spaces. The article quotes the results of the research, describes the participatory techniques used during the project and employed by the other groups of senior citizens involved locally in Poland, and finally mentions the examples of the bottom-up initiatives held by the elders related to the physical space of the cities.

The article was based on the findings and experiences that emerged throughout the project “Seniors decide – public dialogue of the senior citizens in Krakow”. It focuses on the subject of public space in relation to the life conditions and civic participation of senior citizens in the city. Desk research and focus group research enabled the analysis of the programs addressed to the senior citizens in the Krakow Commune. The workshops with senior citizens and the usage of the “walking diagnosis” method served to reveal the potential of the elder to analyze and infl uence the city spaces. The article quotes the results of the research, describes the participatory techniques used during the project and employed by the other groups of senior citizens involved locally in Poland, and finally mentions the examples of the bottom-up initiatives held by the elders related to the physical space of the cities.