From vacant lot to shared space, Woodcamp's future Community Corner symbolises the rebirth of a neighbourhood thanks to the participation of its residents.

In Gardnerville, the Shoe Factory site resembled Woodcamp: an abandoned space that had become a rubbish dump and informal thoroughfare. Women, young people, elders, religious leaders and people with disabilities participated in collaborative workshops to redesign this future living space.

Last week, the Kigali UFI, in collaboration with ASA and with methodological support from Bantu Studio, organised a series of needs assessment workshops in the neighbourhoods of Kagugu, Rwezamenyo and Nyakabanda.

Three transformed sites, 2,750 m² of facilities, 11 community enterprises and Kenya's first co-management agreement. The Nairobi UFI projects illustrate how collaboration between residents, local government and international partners can bring about lasting change in neighbourhoods.

As part of the library and nursery school project led by the Kigali UFI, residents, associations and local stakeholders came together for a co-design session. This participatory approach follows on from a needs assessment and enables the collective imagination of spaces that are adapted, accessible and conducive to social cohesion.