About the Project

Hands-on Famagusta web platform is devoted to visualizing a common urban future for a unified Famagusta, thus paving the way for future collaboration and further cohabitations in a post-conflict Cyprus. It is an integral part of the “Hands-on Famagusta” project which  uses participatory urban design processes to facilitate dialogue about the future of Famagusta. The project contributes to the construction of a common ground between groups in conflict and supports the planning of contemporary urban environments. It is based on the on-going work by the Laboratory of Urbanism, University of Cyprus (LU2CY), Imaginary Famagusta (I.F.), and ALA/Stratis.
 
The focus of Hands-on Famagusta is to empower Cypriot civil society regarding urban transformation processes for a unified Famagusta As such, it has produced several major tools to facilitate the ongoing public debate.
In addition to the website, these tools include:
(1) debate platforms that have included a series of workshops, consultation meetings and public presentations since June 2014;
(2) a mobile physical model of the city in its entirety which will assist Famagustians and others to visualize the city as a whole rather than fragmented territories based on ethnic division;
(3) a publication to be finalized by the end of 2015 that brings together the project activities with their theoretical and methodological underpinnings ;
(4) a survey of over 470 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Famagustians based on personal interviews conducted on both sides of the divide (by Nektarios Christodoulou_ LU2CY).
 
The activities of Hands on Famagusta have been made possible with the support of USAID. The creation of the Hands-on Famagusta web platform was supported by UNDP-ACT through Mahallae. All Hands-on Famagusta Activities are supported in-kind by the University of Cyprus. The November 2014 Hands on Famagusta Workshop was hosted by the Goethe Institute and website launch and public presentation event is  hosted by the Home for Cooperation. The translation into Greek and Turkish is supported by the Renewal program.

 
Project Leader: Socrates Stratis (Imaginary Famagusta Group, AA&U, LU²CY)
Project Team: Emre Akbil, Esra Can Akbil, Chrysanthe Constantinou, Nektarios Christodoulou, Munevver Ozgur Ozersay (Imaginary Famagusta Group)
AA&U (Architecture, Art and Urbanism): Angeliki Koutsodimitropoulou, Thalia Charalambous, Chrysanthe Constantinou
LU²CY (Laboratory of Urbanism, University of Cyprus): Nicolas Constantinou, Phivia Papashiandi

Webplatform development by LightBlack
Webplatform Graphic Design by AA&U
Webplatform Videos by AA&U
Logo Design by Olof Jondelius and Robin Lee
 
More information about the project can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/handsonfamagusta
http://mahallae.org/challenge-idea/hands-famagusta