Working with citizens and local stakeholders, arki_lab is developing a five-year area renewal plan for Asnæs in Odsherred. Through workshops, teaching material, digital engagement strategies and temporary interventions in the existing urban landscape, arki_lab is facilitating the creation of a plan for a better Asnæs from the ground up.

Building on existing cultural and commercial initiatives, this project aims to tie together the city of Asnæs, creating the social and physical space necessary for the city to flourish. The multitude of community engagement strategies implemented utilise the two-fold value of co-creation; employing local expertise in creating a plan that is founded in a solid understanding of the history and social landscape of the city as well as securing a common feeling of ownership, anchoring the new initiatives in the life of the local communities. The use of self-developed teaching materials in schools additionally provides value, both by putting to use the creative potential of the younger generation of Asnæs citizens and developing an understanding of the measures to be taken in making sure that Asnæs remains a vibrant place to live for everyone.

Asnæs is the designated ‘youth city’ of Odsherred Municipality, and contains a shopping centre, a library, a youth centre, two art museums as well as both a public school and a high school. The Asnæs area renewal plan seeks to support these institutions in realizing the potential for synergy between them. The well-trodden paths from the train station to the mall, library and schools follow the old main street, providing ample opportunity for revitalizing the small 3000-citizen city. By co-creating the plan with the many existing initiatives and organisations of Asnæs, arki_lab is laying the groundwork for a sustainable solution through mutually beneficial collaboration between all city stakeholders.