Urban Link 15’ - research topic

a challenge for students

A group of teachers from Politehnica University, together with other partners, in the ErgoWork Society, launched the collaborative research Urban Link 15’, which targets jobs, housing communities and their relationships in the context of "Hybrid Work" concepts and “15 Minutes Cities”. The projects aims to contribute to the identification of healthier lifestyles and the development of sustainable facilities that support them, both economically and from social and environmental standpoints.

The focus of Urban Link 15' research is on the relationship between organizational workspaces, living spaces and proximity coworking spaces, which can compensate for both the need for professional relationships, outdoor movement, natural color, and the need for community housing development.

Until March 31, 2021, students from Timişoara who study architecture, interior design, management, engineering or science are expected to enter the Urban Link - Timişoara 15′ contest.

The competition has a section for individual participation, with the theme "Ergonomic Furniture for Work", which offers 3 prizes worth 1,500 lei, 750 lei and 500 lei, and at least one of the winning projects will also benefit from the execution of the prototype model by GreenForest.

Along with the section for individual participation, there are two sections for team competition, with a number of 3-5 members each. The two sections have the topics “Work and housing solutions within the Urban Link 15’ concept” and “Mobility and city planning solutions in the context of Timişoara 15’ based on green-blue canals and gardens”. For each section there is a prize of 1,500 lei for the theoretical-bibliographic study and 2,000 lei for the implementation of a pilot concept, which can be in the form of an urban art installation. Mixed teams of students from different disciplines will be additionally scored.

All participants must take part in three free workshops, one dedicated to ergonomics and work environment management, held by ErgoWork at the GreenForest showroom, one dedicated to coworking and living in the FOR space and one dedicated to green-blue canals and gardens, at Grădinescu GreenFeel.

More details about the contest can be found here: https://urbanlink15.wordpress.com/2021/02/08/competitia-urban-link-timisoara-15/                                                                                                                          

"Hybrid Work" is a concept that includes more freedom over where and when to perform professional tasks, generally giving the employee more autonomy to adjust their work to their life.

"15 minutes cities" is a concept of urban development in which any resident would have a need and can fulfill it at a distance of 15 minutes on foot or by bike or scooter.

The pandemic has accelerated the megatrends that are manifesting on the labor market and, especially, the increase of the share of working from home or wherever we are and the digitization that serves remote work. Hybrid work, both at home or in other places, and in the spaces of the organizations in which we work, will remain an important working method, due to the positive implications, both economic and ecological, but also due to the better balance created between personal life and professional.

On the other hand, climate change and the ecological imbalances it generates are the main challenge of the 21st century, and here, the social, urban organization has a major responsibility. At the urban level, the movement of "rendering people's cities" by "releasing individual cars" and growing green, wetlands is also an accelerated and pandemic trend, and a concept in this sense is "15 minutes cities".

Among the positive aspects revealed in the pandemic, for many people, is the rediscovery of nature, people and architecture in the immediate vicinity. At the same time, the disadvantages of working from home became more pronounced, such as the deprivation of direct socialization with the professional community and the disappearance of the routine of training and moving home to work and back. Physically, going to work requires movement and going out in the open, essential elements for human health.