Multicultural centre: visions and recommendations

Multicultural centre in Kraków – recommendations based on data and community experience

Kraków is becoming an increasingly diverse city—and this is no longer a projection, but a reality. In response to these changes, the Jewish Czulent Association initiates processes that translate the experiences of residents into concrete changes in public policies.
This publication was created to show how—based on data, research, and participation—urban integration strategies can be developed. It is a resource for local governments, institutions, and organizations that want to design solutions responding to the real needs of diverse communities.

This is a report that begins with people—and their experiences. The starting point was the dynamic social changes in Krakow, linked to both economic and forced migration. Rather than relying solely on statistical data, we focused on the experiences of those who co-create the city—residents, people with migration experience, social organizations, and representatives of public institutions. It was these perspectives that allowed us to identify gaps in current solutions and point toward directions for change.

Data and participation as a starting point for systemic change

The report was developed through a participatory process—an intensive workshop-based effort using methods such as Design Sprint, which enable rapid problem diagnosis and solution design. This approach combines data analysis with the practical knowledge of participants—ensuring that the recommendations are not abstract, but grounded in real needs and experiences.

Thanks to research, we look at reality from a broader perspective.

The publication was developed in cooperation with the academic community, including the Jagiellonian University and the Jagiellonian Centre for Migration Research.
This combination of research-based knowledge and community experience makes it possible to create recommendations that are both reliable and implementable.

The report focuses on the future of the Multicultural Centre—a key component of the “Open Kraków” programme. We show that it is not just an operational project, but a tool for building a coherent, long-term integration policy for the city.

We identify specific areas requiring strengthening—from access to information and communication, through the need for a physical, open space, to the development of competencies and cross-sectoral cooperation.

From diagnosis to recommendations.

Based on the collected data and the joint work of participants, we developed concrete recommendations—including those concerning the establishment of a permanent headquarters for the Centre, the development of a systematic assessment of residents’ needs, the creation of a communication strategy, and the strengthening of cooperation between the city, organizations, and the research sector.

At the Jewish Czulent Association, we work at the intersection of data, experience, and public policy. Our goal is not only to describe reality, but to change it. We use research, participatory processes, and collaboration with experts to initiate systemic changes—ones that respond to contemporary challenges related to migration, diversity, and social safety.

This publication is part of that process. It shows that effective integration policy is not created behind closed doors—but through dialogue, grounded in data, experience, and collaboration.

The report was prepared as part of the project “Strategies for cooperation and inclusion of people at risk of discrimination and exclusion,” implemented with a grant from the Active Citizens – National Fund programme, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Grants.

The project was implemented by the Jewish Czulent Association in cooperation with the Municipality of Kraków, the Voivodeship Police Headquarters in Kraków, and the American Jewish Committee Central Europe.