What are PublicLabs?

PublicLabs are for us a means of encouraging the coming together of different publics largely from communities, local authorities and interest groups to discuss and understand needs and potential solutions on three main areas: policy and urban planning, transport and mobility, and zero waste. The goal of our publicLab approach is to facilitate processes that can be sustained in the future.

With the support of GREAT, for example, the Mayor’s Office in Cali is developing the first informal settlement upgrading programme to include an intersectional approach in areas of transition, namely, considering questions of race, gender and being the victim of Colombia’s armed conflict. This process has direct benefits for four settlements (Brisas de las Palmas, La Arboleda, Pampas del Mirador and Alto Polvorines) with a population of nearly 10,000 people.

In the case of Havana, the project has been actively involved in the ongoing process of policy definition generating practical proposals, tools for adaptation and developing the Higher University Technical Degree in Integrated Waste Management.