Placemaking Week Europe 2024 - Rotterdam

Cities around the world, often face a chronic shortage of affordable creative space for makers, artists, musicians and creatives. And, what little space that is left, is often being taken over for development forcing creatives away from their existing communities in a perpetual cycle. Yet quite often, space that could be utilised for vibrant creative use is hiding in plain sight; from vacant buildings, offices and retail shops to carparks, laneways and the public realm.

In this panel you’ll heart about several incredible urban space transformation projects, led by art communities and placemaking practitioners from around the world and how they create and incubate community, build interesting bridges and connections, infuse creative ideas and develop incredibly vibrant partnerships that make our cities wonderful places to live.
You’ll hear about tips and tricks for working with landlords, building owners and statutory authorities, temporary intervention models and unique ‘meanwhile use’ of vacant space, ‘bending the rules’ as well as long term governance and funding models.

Hear from Trans Europe Halls, one of the largest and oldest cultural networks in Europe, and a pioneer organisation worldwide when it comes to retrofitting abandoned urban spaces for arts and culture as well as several practitioners from Australia, the UK and France in an inspiring panel session.

Many communities have enjoyed the benefits of new development leveraging art and culture, or creative placemaking (CPM), but have also seen the pitfalls, such as displacement. Millions of people around the globe are annually displaced due to wars/conflict, natural disasters, and economic instability.   But displacement also occurs from new real estate development that can bring welcome amenities and new energy to a neighborhood.  New development can also drive property values and rents up, forcing out those less able to pay, often vulnerable, diverse populations.
 
 This session raises awareness about advertent and inadvertent displacement in the built environment and strategies, leveraging art and culture, to avoid displacement. Studies have shown that cities or places that are diverse and inclusive outperform others that are not. So avoiding or limiting displacement is essential for successful place-led development.

 Participants will gain knowledge through research, case studies, and interactive Q&A about CPM best practices and how to employ them to enhance the value of place and deliver benefits that accrue to all stakeholders - community residents and businesses, developers and their partners, and government. Delivered by a panel of subject matter experts living and working in the US and Europe, this session looks back for historical context and lessons learned, and forward to a possible future pregnant with vibrant, healthy places.

Note: This session will use headphones for audio

Creating safe spaces is crucial for fostering genuine connection and a sense of community. This thought-provoking panel will explore the transformative power of inclusive safe spaces, focusing on both the design of these environments and the personal experiences they cultivate. The discussion will examine how intentional efforts in designing safe spaces allow individuals to speak openly and authentically, alongside the lived experiences of those who inhabit them. By exploring diverse perspectives, the session will highlight how different individuals and communities define and experience these sanctuaries. Join us for a dynamic discussion that will challenge your understanding of what it means to create environments where everyone feels valued, protected, and truly at home.

The Hague Placemaking Collective will present past, present and future placemaking projects of 6 active and diverse collaborators in the fields of art, design, architecture, making, activism and public space. Placemaking for us is building healthy social ecosystems. To create spaces where people feel at home, grow and inspire each other. Together we explore our place in the system, our common ground and how we enhance our impact.

Inspirations, ideas, visions as well as questions to public and third spaces. A high diversity of a dynamically composed group of creatives sharing approaches, tryouts, stories and failures we all learnt from. For others to explore their own passion and enthusiasm for existing but sleeping spaces, places and cities.

A colourful, energetic & inspiring presentation session with brief intro of each group, 20 slides long presentations, and an outro with Q&A option.

Our session will include a screening of "The Place Man" (19 min), highlighting Fred Kent's contributions to the placemaking movement. After the film, a panel discussion on "Local Power & The Battle for Place" will feature experts sharing strategies for community-driven urban transformation. This session will explore how communities can reclaim public spaces and empower local stakeholders, offering actionable insights into fostering local power.

The people of Buurland have shown that anyone can be a placemaking hero. They turned an area slated for demolition into a thriving community in Utrecht. Even after vacating in October 2023, Buurland's residents successfully negotiated with the municipality for a potential comeback. The session will explore Buurland's inspiring journey, highlighting the roles of collaboration, leadership, and resilience in creating vibrant communities. Through Qendresa and other residents' stories, attendees will gain tangible insights into community empowerment and sustainable development.

This session at PWE '24 is essential, offering a mix of inspiration and practical advice. The documentary provides a compelling narrative, while the panel discussion offers concrete steps for participants to implement in their own communities. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired and equipped for impactful change

The panel will present different perspectives on the actions of the Placemaking Latin America Network, established in 2017, which brings together more than 300 professionals, activists, and academics, and has already held 6 international meetings. 

The panel focuses on the views of different stakeholders regarding the possibilities of small-scale transformation of the Latin American reality, a continent marked by enormous social contrasts where citizen urbanism is a powerful tool for altering the status quo. In this context, the particularities of placemaking in Latin America are highlighted in relation to the Global North. Citizen urbanism will be discussed by different voices - academia, civil society organizations, government, international organizations - from different countries - Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama - a plurality of contexts that, however, reveal common challenges and weaknesses. 

Challenged by great inequalities and scarce resources, citizen urbanism emerges as a tool for local transformation, within the reach of the communities themselves. A small-scale action, carried out in collaboration with citizens in less favored contexts, has the potential to go far beyond "space activation”. 

From the South, we come to open the conversation about the political potential of citizen urbanism, exploring from different cases what is the capacity for social, environmental, economic, and cultural transformation.

This session explores how diverse cultural forces connect communities and enrich city life, with a focus on their role in transitional spaces and area development. We’ll examine how nightlife, urban street culture, and cultural districts contribute to vibrant, interconnected urban environments.

The discussion will highlight how these elements—from dynamic nightlife and public art to festivals and cultural institutions—create a shared sense of belonging and strengthen community ties. We’ll also address the importance of preserving cultural identity during urban transitions, ensuring that culture remains integral to area development. By exploring how these forces shape the urban fabric, this session reveals the profound impact of culture in bridging divides and enhancing the collective city experience.

Join us to discover how these cultural dimensions contribute to a more connected, lively, and resilient urban landscape.