EWMI ACCESS supports new projects that aim to (a) addressing urban development challenges of the country and (b) supporting transparent and accountable governance in this sector. The projects will start in June, 2018.
- Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) project Protecting Tbilisi’s Cultural Heritage aims to increase transparency and accountability of the Tbilisi Development Fund and support improved urban governance in the city. GYLA will closely monitor operation of the Tbilisi Development Fund focusing on its legal aspects, expenditures, and management of state-owned real estate. Besides, in partnership with Tiflisis Hamkari, it will monitor and assess the quality of reconstruction and restoration works administered by the Fund in the old Tbilisi. GYLA will produce policy recommendations and advocate for improving operation and performance of the Fund. To ensure citizens’ engagement, GYLA and Hamkari will conduct intensive public outreach and awareness-raising campaigns via TV and social media, festivals in the old town, photo-exhibitions, petitions, door-to-door campaigns, and information meetings with affected citizens.
- Batomi, project Promoting Sustainable Urban Development in Batumi will develop recommendations for sustainable urban governance system and cultural heritage monuments protection policies in Batumi. It will increase awareness of the responsible decision- and policy-makers about urban policies and best practices through capacity-building workshops and consultations. Batomi will attract volunteers and raise citizens’ awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage in Batumi through TV and social media campaigns, public lectures, blog-posts, videos, photos, and info graphics created by active Batumi residents.
- Tbilisi Architecture Biennale (TAB) project City Close-Up: Rethinking Recreational and Construction Regulations in Tbilisi aims to make policy-makers and citizens better aware of the main urban challenges in the city, as well as their causes and solutions, and empower Tbilisi residents to speak up about their primary needs and concerns in this regard. TAB will focus on and conduct a comprehensive research on Tbilisi’s recreational zone regulations, construction regulations, public transportation policy, and urban governance processes. Based on the research, TAB will produce and present objective and realistic recommendations for addressing the targeted problems. It will produce diverse multi-media materials, including video documentaries and digital stories, to highlight the most pressing urban problems in Tbilisi and their potential solutions. The video documentaries, multi-media stories and research findings will be shared broadly through ArtArea TV, national and regional TV channels, public screenings, Indigo magazine, and online platforms. The project will show how ordinary citizens in Tbilisi’s different districts are coping with urban problems (e.g. chaotic constructions, lack of public space, car-oriented streets, etc.) and what to do about these problems.
- Georgian Alliance for Safe Roads (GASR) will continue its efforts aimed at supporting the road safety reform and decreasing air pollution in Tbilisi. The new project Healthy Air through Empowering Responsible Initiatives (HAERI) will monitor and evaluate the ongoing reform of PTI of vehicles to prevent traffic injuries and fatalities, and reduce air pollution. GASR, in partnership with highly skilled researchers, will monitor and assess the PTI performance, using desk research, focus groups, in-depth interviews, onsite observations, and monitoring of testing processes at PTI centers in Tbilisi and regions. GASR will also conduct a secondary analysis of the results of air quality tests throughout Georgia to assess the possible effects of PTI on air quality. Based on the monitoring and research findings, GASR will develop policy recommendations and present them to policy-makers for consideration. As part of the Clean Air campaign, GASR, youth Eco Clubs, and a dozen of large Georgian businesses will disseminate the research findings and call public and the private sector representatives to take action to improve air quality.
All four projects will be launched in June, 2018.
