The main question the Urbact Local Group was asked to answer is “why Heraklion is not an attractive destination for Digital Nomads”. In order to be able to provide a solution, the “Problem Tree” methodology was followed. The participants of the ULG meeting first had to think about and record the causes of “the problem” and then through a constructive dialogue of exchange of views in combination with the problems they had already highlighted, they came up with and captured the actions that needed to be taken to solve the problem.
Considering the goal and strategy formulation, the Heraklion’s Urbact Local Group had to discuss and decide on the targeted profile of digital nomads, i.e. to create the desirable digital nomad persona. Using and evaluating data from international literature and research on digital nomads, the characteristics of two types of digital nomads were formulated so that Heraklion could meet their professional, personal and family needs. Methodologically, for the persona’s creation, ULG used the persona’s creation template given by the leader partner. This tool not only help ULG to define the desirable demographic characteristics of digital nomads, but also to think and conclude about the behavioral characteristics of digital nomads (nomads’ goal and motivations, challenges, work-life balance segments importance, et c.).
Finally, for Heraklion’s vision creation, the Urbact Local Group asked to imagine a digital nomad-friendly Heraklion of 2035. To create its vision, the URBACT technic of “Newspaper of tomorrow” was used. The participants divided in 3 groups, pretending the journalists who write an article describing everything they see in the digital Heraklion of the future and interviewed digital nomads living and working in Heraklion on 2035. All groups’ vision was for a city that is green, digital and friendly for both the resident and the digital nomad.
The discussion ended with the commitment of the next meeting to discuss a dynamic action plan to make the vision for Heraklion 2035 a reality.
The Program is implemented by the Planning Directorate of the Municipality of Heraklion with its competent Department of European Programs.
