Gardens for Generations   
KU Leuven Studio "Ephemeral Markets"
Project location: Vilnius, Lithuania 
Year: 2018

 

The goal of the project was to find out how informal marketplaces (which exist in almost every country) could be adapted to the needs of the people who use them. Usually, informal market activities are performed by those who are in the poorest levels of society. Some individuals simply cannot participate in the 21st-century open market due to a lack of education, old age, disabilities, etc. Therefore, the only option left is the "old" way - going to the street and selling whatever they have to earn some money for their livelihood, while hoping not to be caught by tax inspections.

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These types of activities are prevalent in developing countries, but even in Lithuania, a country considered to have high economic development, the phenomenon of elderly people selling vegetables, fruits, and herbs on the street still exists.

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I aimed to explore alternative solutions that could benefit and improve the conditions and satisfaction of the elderly while potentially benefiting another social group - children. My idea was to delve deeper into this phenomenon and seek a solution for how a vulnerable social group, such as elderly people, could be integrated into the economy while also addressing other issues like loneliness and social exclusion.

The project's concept was to combine two vulnerable social groups - children and the elderly - in order to create a social project called "Garden for Generations," which would serve as a kindergarten.