The Palace of Imagination

A Way of Co-creating with Children in the Emboladoura Neighbourhood, Guimarães

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explain how the “Palace of Imagination” (PI), funded by the Portuguese government programme Bairros Saudáveis (Healthy Neighbourhoods) in 2020, was co-created with its residents, primarily children and young people, in the Emboladoura neighbourhood on the western edge of the municipality of Guimarães. The PI aimed to correct the absence of collective public spaces, particularly covered spaces that can house different groups and host various activities, through the co-construction of the multifunctional collective structures. Starting with an explanation of how the idea first came to us and continuing through the process of realizing it, we outline the methodology, structured in four action verbs (“interdialogue,” inhabit, recreate, and activate), how we engaged residents, the project’s transdisciplinary approach, and the relevance given to aesthetic quality. We conclude by outlining the outcomes and results of the project as well as its potential for replication.