✅Tallinn FCH Journey
Vision, Community(ies) and the physical and digital Infrastructure(s) of the Tallinn FCH
Tallinn Fab City Hub Vision
At the inception of the Centrinno project, the Tallinn local team was composed by three members tasked with revitalizing an old, abandoned center owned by the Tallinn Municipality. Their mission was to breathe new life into the neglected Art Deco-style building, Kopli 93, which had long been left unused and inaccessible to the public, transforming it into a vibrant and inclusive Fab City Hub. Their vision aimed to turn the center into a community-driven hub, harnessing traditional artisan skills and fostering experimentation to pioneer innovative forms of community production, promoting resilience, and fostering self-sufficiency among its members.
Over the past three years, a growing community of engaged individuals, initially coordinated by the core Tallinn Pilot Team, has organized various actions, events, workshops, and online webinars to transform this vision into a reality. Crucial steps in this journey included forging key partnerships with local stakeholders such as the Kopli Vocational School and the Tallinn Beekeepers Association.
These partnerships are highlighted in this chapter dedicated to the Vision for FCH, as they significantly contribute to making Kopli 93 not only a community space for creation and gathering but also an active learning ecosystem for and by its members.
The organization of online webinars, in-person workshops, and specialized training sessions on topics like permaculture and soil pollution, environmental awareness, and heritage woodworking series, demonstrates how FCH are fertile ground for crafting and disseminating new forms of knowledge by blending tradition with innovation.
Furthermore, as a result of the collaboration established over the three years between Kopli 93 and the Kopli Vocational School, the pilot team assisted the school in devising a new strategy encompassing circular economy practices and community-centered lifelong learning, integrated into the school's newly adopted program.
Another vital partnership essential for realizing the Vision for Kopli center was the long-term collaboration and alignment with the Municipality of Tallinn, the building's owner. The vision of Kopli 93, promoting resilience and self-sufficiency in community practices, aligns perfectly with Tallinn's future vision to create a more resilient and ecological city. Consequently, during the second sprint, the newly established Kopli 93 was incorporated into the city development plan for 2025 as an innovative community hub where culture intersects with craftsmanship and circular economy principles.
Today, thanks to the significant success and impact of Kopli 93 on the local community, the city is highly motivated to secure long-term financial support for the center and its makerspace.
Tallinn Fab City Hub Community(ies)
One of the foundational pillars contributing to the success of Tallinn's experimentation process and serving as a powerful engine for sustaining Kopli 93 in the future is the formation of a robust and dedicated community over the past three years. This extensive, collaborative, and deeply involved community has been cultivated and reinforced through various tools and methods employed across three distinct sprints.
One of the initial actions taken was the organisation of regular gatherings, known as working collectives, held every Wednesday evening. These sessions opened up the space to the public, facilitating collaborative efforts to construct external infrastructures for the garden. Beyond practical activities , these meetings served also to reach out to the local people and neighbours and gain a deeper understanding of their needs and aspirations for the Hub.
The co-creation of local events like KopliFest, Cosmolocal festivals, and Makers Festivals has proven instrumental in engaging more individuals to exchange ideas, learn, and collaborate. These collaborative events not only enhance community involvement but also broaden the network of stakeholders and potential partnerships, fostering a culture of self-organization within the community.
In addition to event organization, the local team dedicated the first two sprints of their experimentation process to implementing tailored activities and developing specific methodologies and tools to enhance the governance of the FCH community. They hosted specialized gatherings focused on community relationships and decision-making, drawing inspiration from methodologies like the Word Cafe. Moreover, they innovated a brand-new tool for co-designing community values and principles, guiding future actions and decisions for the hub's development.
Utilizing these tools, by the conclusion of Sprint 2, the pilot initiative commenced the process of designing their hub's operational model and membership structure, collaborating with a researcher and practitioner from Tallinn University of Technology.
Tallinn Fab City Hub Infrastructure(s)
A cornerstone of the overarching vision for KOPLI 93 was the creation of a physical space where local residents could engage in productive and meaningful activities outside of their homes, workplaces, and usual entertainment venues. Today, the once-abandoned center has transformed into a dynamic and innovative hub, offering a range of spaces for the community to organize, design, and participate in such activities. Indeed, KOPLI 93 now stands as an innovative Fab City Hub, providing diverse spaces for community members to practice, learn, and exchange knowledge and skills.
At the heart of this transformation lies the community garden, the first initiative that engaged community members in its co-creation. Serving as an outdoor area, this space fosters strong bonds among individuals through activities like gardening and beekeeping, which demand ongoing care and collaboration—mirroring the nurturing relationships essential for a thriving community. From the outset, it was evident that providing accessible spaces for experimentation and collaboration was vital for engaging the community in learning to work together, make decisions collectively, and further develop their own FCH. Over the past three years, community members have actively contributed to designing and realizing these spaces, including the garden, the apiary, and the maker spaces—now accessible three days a week to all community members.
Moreover, while Tallinn's FCH primarily focuses on enhancing a single location, the team has also cultivated relationships and collaborations with other stakeholders, leading to joint activities in neighboring innovative spaces. For instance, collaboration with the Põhjala Factory during the Maker Festival exemplifies this approach, showcasing the importance of extending beyond the walls of their hub to collaborate and promote circular and productive practices citywide.
Another significant aspect of Tallinn's efforts during these experimental years is their emphasis on developing the virtual aspect of their FCH leveraging online platforms for activities, actions, and communications. Recognizing the importance of creating dedicated virtual spaces for learning, communication, and dissemination of their values and activities, KOPLI 93 has garnered widespread attention from local press and social media, inspiring and influencing other groups across Tallinn.
What's next ?
As a result of the success gained by the Tallinn FCH , the municipality is now driven to seek long-term financial support for KOPLI 93 and similar initiatives, with the opening of eight more makerspaces in Waste Recycling Centers citywide—a testament to the hub's role in popularizing circular habits and making practices through both media exposure and hands-on activities.
| Basic Info | |
|---|---|
City Size: | Small. 426.5 Inhabitants |
Productive Focus: | Traditional skills, educational community focus |
Main Partners involved: | TalTech University of Tallinn, City of Tallinn |
FCH address: | Kopli 93, 11712 Tallinn, Estonia |
FCH online channels: |
Read the Tallinn Blueprint 👇
Discover a visual document detailing Tallinn's journey towards establishing their FCH Initiative. You will visualise their micro-missions, the practical tools they've developed, and few inspiring policy recommendations for regenerative urban models. The objective of this document is to facilitate dissemination and replicability of Tallinn best practices in setting up a FCH Initiative.
Stay up-to-date with the Tallinn FCH !
→ Check the dedicated page about Tallinn in the CENTRINNO web page to have an overview about their work and actions towards the setting up of their FCH
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