Loading…
Creating better cities together.
arrow_back View All Dates
Wednesday, September 23
 

10:00am CEST

Wednesday Morning Plenary
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
More information is coming soon.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  plenary, talks & panel discussions

11:45am CEST

Beyond the Building: Can Developers Build Community?
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
What makes a neighbourhood more than a collection of buildings? Can developers help create places where people feel connected, engaged and at home?


These are the questions we will explore together with representatives of member companies of the Wrocław Branch of Polish Association of Developer Companies (PZFD) and Otodom, one of Poland’s leading real estate platforms.


This session explores how residential development can go beyond the building to create happy neighbourhoods and a genuine sense of belonging. Through examples from Wrocław, we will look at different approaches – from green and shared spaces to community-focused design, revitalisation and long-term engagement with residents.
The discussion will ask: Can community be designed? What makes people feel connected to the place they live? And where does the developer’s responsibility end?


Participants will explore real-life examples from Wrocław, exchange experiences and perspectives, and discuss how developers can contribute to creating stronger, more connected neighbourhoods.
Speakers
avatar for Paweł Jarząbek

Paweł Jarząbek

Market Research & Insights Manager, OTODOM (Grupa OLX)
Paweł Jarząbek is a Market Research & Insights Manager at Otodom (OLX Group), with almost 10 years of experience in quantitative research across different tech companies, including Ten Square Games, Google, and now OLX Group. At Otodom, he leads market intelligence and research... Read More →
avatar for Michał Krej

Michał Krej

Development Director, RealCo (PZFD Wroclaw)
Michał Krej is a real estate development professional with a legal background and extensive experience in property acquisition, investment project management and market expansion. He has held senior development and expansion roles at leading Polish residential developers, including... Read More →
avatar for Anita Makowska

Anita Makowska

Senior Business Analyst, Archicom (PZFD Wroclaw)
Anita Makowska is a real estate market analyst at Archicom SA and an assistant professor at the Wrocław University of Economics. A researcher of megatrends, consumer behaviour and market dynamics. Her profession is also her passion, complemented by a love of good architecture. She... Read More →
avatar for Kamil Pakosz

Kamil Pakosz

CEO, GC Development (PZFD Wroclaw)
Kamil Pakosz is real estate expert and entrepreneur, President of the Board of GC Development Sp. z o.o. and Vice-President of the Management Board of Lotnicza 100. Kamil has been active in Wrocław’s investment and real estate market for over 15 years. He has advised on numerous... Read More →
avatar for Natalia Sawicka

Natalia Sawicka

Director of the Property Management Department, Vantage Rent (PZFD Wroclaw)
Natalia Sawicka has been involved in the real estate development industry for over 20 years. She gained professional experience at, among others, Dom Development and Angel Poland Group. Since 2021, she has been with Vantage Development, where she serves as Director of the Property... Read More →
avatar for Michał Witkowski

Michał Witkowski

Sales and Marketing Director, Lokum Deweloper (PZFD Wroclaw)
Michał Witkowski is the Sales and Marketing Director at Lokum Deweloper SA that is focused on delivering residential projects that balance commercial success with sustainability, long-term value, and quality of life. Born in Wrocław, he is passionate about shaping cities and strengthening... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, panel discussion

11:45am CEST

Informal exchange: Meet the Place Led Development Working Group and the ULI European Placemaking Council!
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Klub Łącznik
The Place Led Development Working Group has 100+ listed participants and is open to include more. We have regular meetings online throughout the year, with webinars about best practices for an open audience and internal "kitchen table sessions" to discuss each other's work. This session during the Placemaking Week Europe is the one time a year that we meet live and talk more deeply.


This year, we co-organised with the freshly initiated Placemaking Council of ULI Europe, the leading network in European real estate.


We will first introduce the key people in the Place-Led Development Working Group and the ULI European Placemaking Council. Then for interaction, we will organise an Open Space session where participants can discuss the values of place-led development, and the issues they face in their own projects that work against the idea of place-led development. Meet your fellow group members, learn from each other, and lay the foundation for us to meet online during the rest of the year!
Speakers
avatar for Hans Karssenberg

Hans Karssenberg

Board member, partner, STIPO, Placemaking Europe, Place-Led Development Working Group
Board member and co-founder of Placemaking Europe, Founding Partner of STIPO and member of the Place-Led Development Working Group
avatar for Jeroen Laven

Jeroen Laven

Head of Culture, Placemaking Council Lead, City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council
City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council, co-founder of Placemaking Europe
avatar for Kristian Riis

Kristian Riis

CEO, Placemaking Council Lead, Volcano, ULI European Placemaking Council
CEO, Volcano A/S and Co-Chair, ULI European Placemaking Council
avatar for Clementine Robert

Clementine Robert

Working Group Co-ordinator, Place-led Development
Working Group Co-ordinator Place-led Development
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Klub Łącznik Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, informal community session

11:45am CEST

Meet the German network!
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
Placemaking Germany is a growing network of citizens, practitioners, municipalities, researchers, designers and community builders who believe that great places are created with people, not just for people.
We asked ourselves: Why isn't there a national placemaking network in Germany yet? While countless inspiring initiatives already exist across the country, they often work in isolation. Our goal is to connect these people, projects and ideas, creating a shared platform for collaboration, learning and collective impact.
Inspired by the values of Placemaking Europe, we are building an open and inclusive community where everyone is welcome—whether you're an experienced placemaker or simply passionate about creating more vibrant, people-centered public spaces.
If you'd like to connect, exchange ideas, or help shape the future of Placemaking Germany, we'd love to meet you. Join our growing community and let's create places people love—together.
Speakers
avatar for Placemaking Germany

Placemaking Germany

Founder, Placemaking Germany
Placemaking Germany was founded after Placemaking Week Europe 2025 to connect a growing but fragmented scene in Germany. With strong motivation already there, the network creates a platform for exchange, collaboration and visibility through events, education, joint projects and meetups... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 18, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, informal community session

11:45am CEST

Quests - discovering local treasures
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point
During this session participants will find out what quests are and how to engage local communities in creating such games. That’s a unique type of field games (so called treasure hunts), which encourage players to discover local history, culture and nature in an innovative way, using either a paper brochure or a mobile application. The central part of the game is a rhymed text containing interesting facts, directions and puzzles to be solved. At the end of the game players search for the final treasure, which is a commemorative stamp hidden in a secret place revealed by the final password.
The participants will have an opportunity to play in a short quest-meeting: a game organized around the quest stand, so that they try in practice how quests work. We are also going to present the Quests -  Explorer’s Expeditions programme developing in a dynamic way in the whole country (see www.questy.org.pl), as well as some good practices in using quests by local communities (especially NGOs) for building belonging and fostering local development.
Speakers
avatar for Anna Jarzębska

Anna Jarzębska

President of the Board, Fundacja Mapa Pasji
Anna Jarzębska – Founder of the Mapa Pasji Foundation, Chair of the Foundation’s Board, specialist in social participation, partnership-building, networking, mobilising local communities, establishing youth and senior citizens’ councils, leading public consultation processes... Read More →
avatar for Blanka Pastuszak

Blanka Pastuszak

Project Coordinator, Fundacja Mapa Pasji
Blanka Pastuszak has been with the Mapa Pasji Foundation since July 2025 and serves as project coordinator. She is responsible for supporting the implementation of national and international projects, including planning activities, liaising with partners, preparing documentation and... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, outdoor sessions
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

Use Is Visible, Meaning Is Not - A storytelling workshop that reveals the city's hidden layers
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model
Public spaces are shaped not only by design and use, but also by the memories, emotions
and everyday experiences people attach to them. Ordinary urban elements - a bench, a tree,
a café terrace, a street corner - carry stories that often go unnoticed and remain invisible.
This workshop makes them visible.


In this hands-on outdoor experience, participants discover how personal stories can reshape
the way they perceive public space. They first observe a place through their own
assumptions and associations - then discover how listening to someone else's experience of
that same place changes what they notice, and what they imagine.


By the end, participants look at public space differently - and have added their own
experience, story or emotion to a place, contributing to a growing archive of stories that
travels from city to city.
Speakers
avatar for Salman Guldemond

Salman Guldemond

Founder, Space Place Pace
Salman is a storyteller, community builder and curious observer of public life. He is fascinated by the stories hidden within everyday places and the ways people create meaning, belonging and connection through their interactions with public space.

Working as a practitioner at the intersection of storytelling, participation, placemaking, area transformation and area branding, Salman designs experiences and initiatives that reveal the human side of places. His work focuses on creating lasting social impact, public space inter... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 16a, 51-627 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, outdoor sessions

11:45am CEST

After the Global Summit: New Pathways for Placemaking (and a Focus on Place-Led Development)
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
What’s happening in the placemaking arena outside of Europe? What are some possible next steps for practitioners around the globe? 


Ethan Kent and Steve Davies (Placemaking X) will talk about some of the history of the placemaking movement starting in Central Europe in the mid 90s, how it has grown around the world since, and current global trends with international placemaking leaders and networks. 


TJ Maguire and Andrew Pask (Placemaking Canada) will share learnings from the 2025 Global Placemaking Summit held in Toronto, Canada - including key takeaways from workshops, plenary presentations and site visits, and progression of the Global Placemaking agendas. 


The team will also share the initiatives being undertaken by Placemaking Canada and some of the emerging areas of focus and practices in Canadian placemaking: including placemaking pluralism, equity-centred and Indigenous placemaking, and winter placemaking.


Finally, the panel will look at the emergence of a global place-led development agenda. It’s time to challenge the development community to go “beyond the building” and drive inclusive and affordable development through place. Place-Led development offers a strategic bridge from the placemaking movement to a larger place movement, and from extractive “placetaking” and corporate capitalism to regenerative place capitalism.


Speakers
avatar for TJ Maguire

TJ Maguire

Steering Committee, Placemaking Canada
TJ is a professional planner and Senior Urban Designer working with the Planning & Development team at Evergreen to create thriving places collaboratively with communities. His passion for inclusive design and placemaking helps shape not only what is built, but also how we build together. Prior to Evergreen, TJ worked with the teams at Waterfront Development / Develop Nova Scotia and BuildNS... Read More →
avatar for Steve Davies

Steve Davies

President & Board Member, Placemaking Fund/PlacemakingX
Steve is President of the Placemaking Fund, the sponsor organization of Placemaking X. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Project for Public Spaces (PPS) with Fred Kent and the late Kathy Madden. He continues to be an advocate for public spaces, placemaking, and public markets... Read More →
avatar for Ethan Kent

Ethan Kent

Executive DIrector, PlacemakingX
Ethan Kent works to support public space organizations, projects, and leadership around the world to build a global placemaking movement. Ethan has traveled to more than 1000 cities, in 65 countries, to advance the cause of leading urban development with inclusive public spaces and placemaking. In 2019 he co-founded PlacemakingX to network, amplify and accelerate placemaking leadership and impact globally. Ethan has helped initiate and grow 30+ regional placemaking networks... Read More →
avatar for Andrew Pask

Andrew Pask

Steering Committee, Placemaking Canada
Andrew is a senior urban planner with the City of Vancouver, where his work focuses on policy development to support the creation of walkable, complete neighbourhoods. In 2006, he founded the Vancouver Public Space Network, a non-profit organization that undertakes placemaking, events... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, panel discussion
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

It takes sharing to build a village
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Imagine if borrowing a basketball, gardening tools, party equipment or a picnique set was as normal as borrowing a book. It is already happening: sharing tools and equipment not only reduces waste but also creates human connections in neighbourhoods and helps bring public space to life through sports, games or events.   
By giving access to some of Europe's millions of underused goods in our homes (a drill is used on average 12 minutes in its lifetime), Libraries of Things, repair cafés and toy libraries create opportunities for neighbours to share their idle resources to build connections and reactivate their neighbourhoods. 
This interactive workshop explores how sharing initiatives can support more connected neighbourhoods and public spaces. Participants begin with a quiz uncovering surprising facts about consumption, ownership and the hidden potential of underused goods, before discovering inspiring sharing initiatives from across Europe. Through a collaborative game, participants then design a sharing initiative for their neighbourhood: what to share, whom to involve and how to use neighbourhood spaces. 
Learning from experiences of the Interreg Europe GOOD CITIES project, participants gain insights into the environmental and social impacts of everyday consumption, alongside inspiring examples from across Europe and practical ideas to apply locally.
Powered by Froala Editor
Speakers
ND

Nienke de Jong

Innovation Consultant and Project Lead, BAX Innovation
Nienke de Jong is an Innovation Consultant and Project Lead at Bax & Company in Barcelona, specializing in the circular and access economies.With a background in International Relations and Organization, she leads European sustainability initiatives—including the Good Cities Interreg... Read More →
avatar for Levente Polyak

Levente Polyak

Director, Eutropian
Levente Polyak is urban planner, researcher, community advocate and policy adviser.  He has worked on urban regeneration programmes for the New York, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Budapest municipalities. He taught at MOME and BUTE (Budapest) and TU Wien and was visiting fellow at Columbia University... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, workshop
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

Street by Street: Reimagining the Future Together
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
What makes a great street - and how do we turn bold ideas into lasting change? 
From the transformation of London's iconic Oxford Street to community-led revitalisation projects across Western Australia, this session explores how collaboration, experimentation and shared ownership are reshaping streets and town centres into vibrant places for people. 
The Oxford Street Development Corporation (UK) will share how one of the world's most recognisable streets is being reimagined through bold leadership, temporary interventions and long-term vision. Doing Co (formerly Town Team Movement, Australia) will present two complementary initiatives: Streets Alive, an innovative funding and capacity-building program that empowers communities, local governments and state agencies to co-create safer, more vibrant and people friendly streets, and Do-Over, a hands-on revitalisation model that brings residents, businesses and local governments together to transform town centres through practical action. 
Together, these case studies demonstrate that successful place transformation happens when institutions create the conditions for communities to lead, experiment and act. 
Through inspiring presentations and an interactive discussion, participants will explore practical models, transferable tools and real-world lessons for building trust, reducing barriers and turning temporary ideas into lasting change - proving that every great place is created street by street, together. 
Speakers
avatar for Roz Peebles

Roz Peebles

Public Realm Lead, Oxford Street Development Corporation
Roz Peebles is the Public Realm Lead at the Oxford Street Development Corporation. Roz plays a leading role in shaping the public realm for the transformation of one of London’s most iconic and important public spaces, helping to drive the vision and delivery of improvements to... Read More →
avatar for Patrycja Rosinska

Patrycja Rosinska

Community and Place Specialist, Doing Co (formerly Town Team Movement)
Patrycja Rosinska is a passionate arts and culture, community engagement, and place activation specialist with over 25 years’ experience across private, not-for-profit, and public sectors in Poland and Australia. 

Her work sits at the intersection of people, place, and creativi... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, panel discussion

11:45am CEST

The "Crisis Brigade": Cultural Practitioners as the Missing Link in Urban Synchronization and Community Bridging
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
In times of urban crisis, communication often collapses into paralyzing silence or conflict. I propose a session exploring why cultural practitioners—equipped with placemaking tools—are the ultimate response to these deadlocks. Drawing from my 20-year career and a scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on "Placemaking for Cultural Workers," I present a strategic shift in perspective.
This session moves away from viewing placemaking as a mere technical "fix," reposing it as an epistemological act—a method for "reading" the city and synchronizing the needs of municipal departments, private partners, and residents. I will share a comparative analysis of masterclasses conducted in diverse Polish contexts (from metropolises like Gdańsk to small towns like Sucha Beskidzka), showcasing how cultural workers act as vital community connectors.
Participants will explore a unique Placemaking Manual designed to turn institutions into "urban synchronizers" capable of fostering meaningful belonging and shared stewardship. By presenting placemaking as a "competence of maintaining tension," I will demonstrate how to move from reactive crisis management to proactive, organic co-creation that balances diverse interests in fast-growing urban environments.
Speakers
avatar for Carolina Pietyra

Carolina Pietyra

Director, KBF Cracow Festival Office
Carolina Pietyra is the Director of the Krakow Festival Office (KBF), an institution that for over 20 years has been responsible for Kraków’s flagship cultural festivals, including the Film Music Festival, Sacrum Profanum, Misteria Paschalia, the Conrad Festival, and the Miłosz... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, panel discussion
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

PLAY, PLACE, CHANGE: from local action to global impact
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Young people play a vital role in shaping cities through placemaking. However, many youth-led initiatives isolated projects, struggling to influence the institutions, policies, and systems that shape urban life. This interactive workshop explores how local experiments can inspire lasting change across cities and communities.
Drawing on experiences from the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Programme in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, participants will learn how local interventions can influence not just physical spaces, but also governance, partnerships, and urban policy. The session features practical tools and real-world case studies to encourage group reflection and spark new ideas.
Participants will use urban game methods and stakeholder mapping to discover how experimentation and co-creation serve as effective, accessible tools for influencing policy and placemaking. Examples from participating cities will show how youth initiatives have led to valuable, participatory outcomes.
By linking local experiences with lessons from a global community, this session equips participants with strategies to identify leverage points, build alliances, and strengthen the impact of youth-led placemaking for systemic urban change.
Speakers
avatar for Agustín Müller

Agustín Müller

Jr. Programme Officer, GIB foundation
avatar for Emily Simpson

Emily Simpson

Programme Manager, Southeast Asia & Africa, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Rooted in Resilience, workshop

11:45am CEST

Playing with Food as Placemaking Infrastructure
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA Small room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
Food is everywhere in urban life, yet it is still often missing from placemaking conversations. This participatory Game / Tool invites participants to explore food as a concrete placemaking infrastructure: something that shapes public space, care, inclusion, resilience and everyday community life.
Inspired by the logic of Food Collage as a collaborative learning method, the session will use cards, urban situations and group discussion to help participants connect food access, community gardens, markets, composting, public kitchens, local producers, schools and neighbourhood spaces.
Participants will work in small groups to build “edible commons” scenarios: realistic place-based interventions that move beyond isolated garden projects and imagine food spaces as long-term, co-managed urban resources.
The session is designed for practitioners, local authorities, community organisers, designers and researchers who want to understand how food can become part of how places are shaped, inhabited and cared for together. Participants will leave with a practical tool, a shared vocabulary and new ways to bring food into placemaking work.
Speakers
avatar for Roxana Maria TRIBOI

Roxana Maria TRIBOI

Food system planning and policy expert, Climato sfera
Roxana Maria Triboi is an architect, urban planner and food systems specialist working across research, policy and community-based urban practice. She focuses on sustainable food planning, edible commons, participatory governance and ecological transition in cities. She has contributed... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
WUWA Small room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 18, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Rooted in Resilience, game / tool
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

Public Space as Symbolic Redress: Placemaking and the Memories of Colombia’s Armed Conflict
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
This hands-on workshop explores how public spaces can become powerful engines for symbolic repair and community healing. Drawing from the lived experiences of post-conflict Colombia, we will analyze three unique case studies where public spaces were transformed into sites of active memory. Crucially, we will unpack the methodologies used to ensure these places foster collective mourning and hope, rather than triggering re-traumatization or deeper pain.
Participants will work in collaborative teams, diving into deep-dive toolkits for each case. Through interactive, tactical exercises—using posters, post-its, and visual mapping—we will collaboratively deconstruct these methodologies. Together, we will isolate key placemaking factors and co-create practical frameworks to adapt these sensitive, resilience-driven strategies to the specific challenges of your own local communities.
Speakers
avatar for Yolanda Idaly Mogollón Gaitán

Yolanda Idaly Mogollón Gaitán

Project designer, Espacio Vivo Colombia
I am woman and ciclyst,yol an urban psychologist and mobility specialist passionate about co-creating public spaces that foster social inclusion, community resilience, and a deep sense of belonging. With a Master’s degree in Human Talent Management, I combine strategic organizational... Read More →
avatar for Daniel Rocca

Daniel Rocca

Co-Worker, Espacio Vivo Colombia
"I am a civil engineer and urban planner dedicated to transforming public infrastructure into accessible, equitable, and community-driven spaces. Combining technical precision with a passion for human-centric urban design, I specialize in managing tactical interventions that foster... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Rooted in Resilience, workshop
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

Creating Places For Life
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Otwarta Przestrzeń Kultury St. John of Nepomuk Church in Szczytnicki Park
An interactive session applying the 7 core living systems principles to the place you work in, live in and love. Take these first principles that have guaranteed life on earth for 3.8 billion years and find discover how they can help you transform the future potential, viability and vitality of the places of the world.  If we can transform each place, we create a sum total of a planet that is living, thriving, and has a regenerative future. 


Together in small groups, we will learn how to:-


- map the ecological, economic and cultural story of separation
- discover the essence of your place - the biocultural uniqueness from which all evolutionary potential springs
- understand the dynamic systems in which your place site, and how any project you design can influence their future
- find a core vocation for the future contribution your place can bring to the world




Speakers
avatar for Jenny Andersson

Jenny Andersson

Founder, The Really Regenerative Centre CIC
Jenny is founder of the Really Regenerative Centre CIC.  Passionate about the fractal potential of place as a critical node in transforming economy, ecology and culture towards regenerative futures, and inspired by the principles that have created the conditions conducive to life... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
Otwarta Przestrzeń Kultury St. John of Nepomuk Church in Szczytnicki Park aleja Dąbska, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, workshop
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

Color as a Catalyst for Placemaking
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 5:30pm CEST
Teki - Miasteczko Studenckie "Wittigowo" Politechniki Wrocławskiej
Color on streets and asphalt-covered spaces can transform how people feel, move, and connect—turning overlooked areas into places of belonging and everyday use. This project builds on hands-on experience in designing playful, functional street graphics. With large-scale graphics, we demonstrate how simple visual design can unlock new forms of public life.
A key component of placemaking is co-creation. In this on-site workshop, participants can actively shape the graphics, turning a basketball court in Wrocław into a shared canvas. Together, we will create a unique visual design while strengthening a sense of ownership and care.
Tested, sustainable temporary colours allow for quick, adaptable, and reversible interventions. At the basketball court in student housing (Teki – Miasteczko Studenckie “Wittigowo” Politechniki Wrocławskiej), close to the Festival Area, participants can experiment with colour and design in real time, transforming the space together.
Whether in car-free streets, schoolyards, parks, or sports areas, the project demonstrates how colour, combined with participation, can become a powerful tool for placemaking—creating playful, inclusive spaces that support cycling, movement, social exchange, and community life.
Speakers
avatar for Sylvia Kostenzer

Sylvia Kostenzer

Design Lead, remake_streets
Sylvia Kostenzer envisions greener, safer, and more inclusive cities where children can move safely and freely on their own, and where motorised traffic is reduced to a bare minimum.She is a hands-on changemaker, using colourful street markings and large-scale painted streetscapes... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - 5:30pm CEST
Teki - Miasteczko Studenckie "Wittigowo" Politechniki Wrocławskiej 51-627 Vroclav, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, outdoor sessions

11:45am CEST

The Global Garage: a case study for memory and belonging
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - Thursday September 24, 2026 5:30pm CEST
Great places rarely emerge fully formed; they begin as experiments—small acts of gathering, saving, adapting, and making that accumulate into culture, memory, and belonging. This session uses the garage as a lens for understanding the conditions that allow experimentation, creativity, and connection to thrive. Whether post-war garage complexes in Poland or invention-focused spaces in the United States, these environments succeeded because they offered autonomy, embraced unfinished ideas, and welcomed participation without requiring permission.
In many ways, garages are the original sandbox cities: places where people test ideas, share knowledge, repurpose resources, and build relationships before those ideas ever become formalized plans or policies. They reveal how culture emerges not through programming alone, but through everyday acts of stewardship, ownership, and care.
What can cities learn from these environments? How can public spaces become places where experimentation is encouraged rather than controlled? What organizational structures, funding models, and stewardship practices create room for participation, adaptation, and collective responsibility over time?
Using a temporary installation of found objects as a shared sandbox, participants will explore memory, experimentation, and belonging through facilitated discussion and storytelling. Together, we will examine how cities can create the conditions for creativity, collective ownership, and long-term stewardship to flourish in public life.
Speakers
avatar for William H. Dodge

William H. Dodge

Cofounder | Artist | Design Principal, A Gang of Three
William H. Dodge is a multidisciplinary designer, public artist, and design strategist based in North Carolina (USA).  He is the Cofounder of A Gang of Three, a globally recognized multidisciplinary, socially focused arts, placemaking, and planning practice operating within an ... Read More →
avatar for Jennie Kovalcik

Jennie Kovalcik

Director of Operations, Public Sphere Projects
Jennie Kovalcik is dedicated to amplifying arts and culture in urban contexts and has spent her entire career facilitating community development. She facilitates community-driven connections that focus on the relationship between creative and culturally-responsive placemaking that... Read More →
avatar for Jacek Sosnowski

Jacek Sosnowski

Founder | Curator, PRPGND
Jacek Sosnowski is a curator and psychoanalyst. He specializes in contemporary art, focusing on issues related to imagined social structures, identity, or transformation through trauma, and the healing process. He is a designer of exhibitions, public space projects, and art-branding... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - Thursday September 24, 2026 5:30pm CEST
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, art installation
  • global Y

11:45am CEST

For the Public - Arts in Placemaking
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - Friday September 25, 2026 5:30pm CEST
Adam Roigart been working on a body of work titled “For the Public” with previous iterations in Stockholm and Tokyo. They are installations and public performances where the audience are invited to join on an exploration of hidden places in the city and inhabit them by doing a small hosting activity together. 


Come and see for yourself what this format can do at the placemaking conference.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Roigart

Adam Roigart

Co-Founder, BY RUM SKOLE / Artist
Adam Roigart is Landscape Architect, Artist and Placemaker based in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. In his work he typically explores the link between site, material and person, believing that it is through the participation with our environments that we truly inhabit them... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:45am - Friday September 25, 2026 5:30pm CEST
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, art installation
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

European best practices in Place Led Development: Nordsø Copenhagen and Kenniskwartier Tilburg
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
This session is hosted by the Place Led Development Group of Placemaking Europe and the ULI Europe Placemaking Council.


With the Place Led Development Group, we have been documenting the best practices of area development that revolve around community and place, and thereby aim to learn for new area developments. We have been documenting Europe's best cases since five years now.


In this session, we will introduce Place-Led Development, the ULI Placemaking Council and then dive into two exciting new cases to be added to our list:
1. Nordsø is a project of Volcano in collaboration with the City and the Port of Copenhagen. Nordsø is located in Nordhavn and is one of the biggest development projects in Denmark ever. Volcano uses alternative tools for engaging citizens as Urban Safaris, a Summit (festival), Pop-up dialogs, and digital involvement. They are creating an open and transparent process and  are supporting the projects DGNB Platin-certification.
2. Kenniskwartier in Tilburg will add 7,500 new homes to this city in the south of The Netherlands. The aim is not only to add houses, but mix with work and amenities. The new housing will be 70% affordable, in a neighbourhood that has a lot of social housing already. This requires the work profile to be very inclusive (including neighbourhood economy, manufacturing), the social quality to be very high (social amenities) and a social innovation aim (culture, creativity, young professional startups). These cannot pay the high prize real estate developers normally ask, and therefore STIPO and the City of Tilburg are organising an Eye Level Curation Organisation, an entirely new innovation that will curate around 80,000 m2 of work and amenity space in order to be inclusive and vibrant.


After the introductions we will discuss with the audience what this means for the values of future place led development projects.


Both Volcano and STIPO have been involved in place led development projects throughout Europe for more than 30 years.
Speakers
avatar for Hans Karssenberg

Hans Karssenberg

Board member, partner, STIPO, Placemaking Europe, Place-Led Development Working Group
Board member and co-founder of Placemaking Europe, Founding Partner of STIPO and member of the Place-Led Development Working Group
avatar for Jeroen Laven

Jeroen Laven

Head of Culture, Placemaking Council Lead, City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council
City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council, co-founder of Placemaking Europe
avatar for Kristian Riis

Kristian Riis

CEO, Placemaking Council Lead, Volcano, ULI European Placemaking Council
CEO, Volcano A/S and Co-Chair, ULI European Placemaking Council
avatar for Clementine Robert

Clementine Robert

Working Group Co-ordinator, Place-led Development
Working Group Co-ordinator Place-led Development

Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, panel discussion

2:30pm CEST

Teenagers create public spaces: India, Mexico, Poland, Egypt
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Our workshop explores how teenagers experience public spaces across four geographical contexts represented by our team’s place of origin. Drawing on practices from India, Poland, Mexico, and Egypt, the session combines inspiration from real stories with hands-on tools.
The core of the workshop is a collaborative empathy mapping, followed by design prototyping. Embodying teenage personas from 4 regions, participants will work in groups to explore the needs, emotions, and barriers young people face in public spaces. 
Participants will reflect on the contextual differences as well as similarities in how belongingness among teenagers is experienced through intersecting lenses of play - these could be accessibility design, designing for low-income settlements or addressing gender disparities of play. 
The workshop begins with mapping participants’ own teenage experiences of play and public space across cultures. This sets the stage for short presentations from practitioners working with youth across different socio-cultural contexts. The end-goal is not to “solve” issues, but more to “distil” and “understand” what issues to solve.
Participants will leave with 1) practical tools (empathy mapping, personas, prototyping methods), 2) emerging perspectives on youth inclusion in placemaking across countries, and 3) Intercultural appreciation of the role of thoughtful design in the lives of adolescents.
Speakers
avatar for Maciej Zacher

Maciej Zacher

Urbanist, Municipality of Skawina | Placemaking Poland
Placemaker, urbanist, and city lover. For nearly a decade, he has been turning Skawina from livable to lovable, working as a municipal urbanist and mobility planner. With a background in architecture, academia, and NGOs, he is a practitioner of participatory design who focuses on... Read More →
avatar for Dhanya Rajagopal

Dhanya Rajagopal

Leader, Placemaking India
I am a public space advocate and founder of the independent urban strategy and design practice, The Thinking Cauldron. With 12+ years of experience in delivering purpose-driven urban projects that span intersecting disciplines, systems, stakeholders and sectors. I specialize in cultural... Read More →
avatar for Luciana Renner

Luciana Renner

Director, Fundación Placemaking Mexico
Luciana Renner is the Directora Ejecutiva (Executive Director) of Fundación Placemaking México. Since February 2024, she has led both internal and external processes of the organization, working to create and strengthen strategic alliances with public and private sector organizations. Her goal is to improve the integral well-being of public spaces and foster the growth of... Read More →
avatar for Prajna Kumaraswamy

Prajna Kumaraswamy

Urban designer, Architect, Multidisciplinary Practitioner and Artist, Makers for Humanity
Prajna Kumaraswamy is from Mysuru, India, currently based in Germany. Her work operates at the intersection of design, practice-action-research, ecology, culture, and public space, exploring how participatory and creative methods can foster more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful... Read More →
avatar for Magdalena Kubecka

Magdalena Kubecka

Vice President, On-site Foundation
Magdalena works as an urban researcher, a placemaker and an educator. She runs "On-site Foundation" which supports neighbourhoods, residents associations, local governments and entrepreneurs in improving urban public spaces in Polish cities. She is an initiator of social projects for... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, workshop
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

Children as Experts of Their Neighbourhoods: Co-Creating Better Mobility and Places
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Livable cities and vibrant public spaces are shaped by everyday mobility choices. Yet shifting away from car dependency is not only a technical challenge, but also a cultural one. This session argues that such change should begin with the youngest urban residents and be co-created with them, as children's experiences today shape how they will move, relate to, and care for their neighbourhoods in the future.

This is why quantitative and spatial data alone cannot capture what it means to plan for children — their embodied experiences and perceptions must also be taken into account. Participants will gain practical insights into child-centred participatory mobility planning and placemaking, drawing on experiences from Europe, the South Caucasus and India. The session will showcase a range of tools, including participatory mapping, co-design with families, arts-based workshops, walkshops, photovoice, alongside participatory foresight, an approach that engages children as experts of their neighbourhoods, exploring mobility cultures, imagining futures, and co-creating shared visions.

Through concrete examples and discussion, attendees will learn how to meaningfully involve children in shaping mobility and public space, and how these approaches can be adapted and scaled to support more inclusive, child-friendly cities.
Speakers
avatar for Aytan Huseynli

Aytan Huseynli

Director/Founder, Placemaking Azerbaijan
Aytan Huseynli is an architect, urban practitioner, founder of Placemaking Azerbaijan, creator of A’Arch Architecture Insights Blog, and owner of the AEC Global Podcast. With over a decade of experience across Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Sweden, she advances architecture, placemaking... Read More →
avatar for Ewa Korcelli-Olejniczak

Ewa Korcelli-Olejniczak

Associate Professor, IGSO PAS
Ewa Korcelli-Olejniczak is an associate professor at IGSO PAS. She has been involved in numerous projects dealing with urban governance, urban social diversity, and education. Her research focus is comparative studies, as well as the relation between space and social interaction... Read More →
avatar for Olena Kuzhym

Olena Kuzhym

Project Officer, International Federation of Pedestrians
Olena Kuzhym is a Project Officer at the International Federation of Pedestrians, working on EU-funded projects such as CONIFER and JUST STREETS. With a background in Urban Studies, she brings a strong social lens to mobility planning, with a particular focus on walkability, participatory... Read More →
avatar for Kirti Zala

Kirti Zala

CEO & Project Head, aProCh - a Protagonist in Every Child
Kirti Zala is an urban strategist and CEO of aProCh, an initiative transforming cities into child-friendly, inclusive spaces. Combining an MSc in Finance with an 8-year corporate background, she bridges grassroots placemaking and municipal governance to scale child-centric urban... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, panel discussion

2:30pm CEST

Local Stewards: Do you even know who cares about the place you intend to design?
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Learn how to map systems of care in urban space!

Governmental, civic, and business efforts to care for public spaces make up a complex and contentious mosaic of actions, regulations, and expectations. A critical step to operate in unison must be therefore to recognize spatial patterns of turf territories and to understand networks of stewards’ conflicts and cooperation. This however can be done only through a genuine effort of all the stakeholders involved – by workshop mapping such systems of urban care together.

Join us and learn how architects can better understand the places they intend to design. Only by mapping systems of urban stewardship you will understand and bring conflicted stewards together. And that is something that can be done within a 2-hour-long workshop. Believe me, that's something you will successfully use in your design practice.

Also, you will learn about the theoretical foundation: Environmental Stewardship Theory and Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP). That's really something we all designers shall know.

I look forward to sharing this experience with you.
 
Artur
www.lokalnigospodarze.pl
Speakers
avatar for Artur Jerzy Filip

Artur Jerzy Filip

Assistant Professor, Warsaw University of Technology
Specialist in the field of urban planning and urban heritage protection. Researcher and practitioner focused on cross-sectoral approach to placemaking according to the Local Stewards concept: lokalnigospodarze.plAuthor of the book „Big Plans in the Hands of Citizens” (published by Bęc Zmiana, 2019) devoted to American bottom-up partnership groups advocating for large-scale urban projects.He studied at the Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology, and at the Pratt Institute... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, workshop
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

Strong placemaking organisations for building long term trust and local resilience.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Four perspectives explore Public Private Partnership models - each speaker will present on their recent experiences developing placemaking programs, explore challenges and successes with their communities and the fundamentals of the governance used in their projects. Whilst these projects are worlds apart; common threads emerge: fostering resilience and capacity, establishing trust, and place keeping. Participants of this session are invited into a short closing workshop to explore their own potential outcomes.
Speakers
avatar for Minouche Bester

Minouche Bester

Partner, STIPO
Minouche has been a partner at STIPO since 2015. She graduated as a political scientist from the UvA in 1999 and is an experienced process designer and facilitator of transformation processes. She believes that everything you pay attention to grows and with this vision she tries to... Read More →
avatar for Carlos Lopez

Carlos Lopez

Operations Manager, Centrum för AMP/Forumtorget
Carlos Lopez is a cultural entrepreneur and community leader based in Uppsala, Sweden. He is the Operations Manager at Forumtorget, where he drives initiatives that foster creativity, collaboration, and public engagement.As co-founder of Uppsala Danscenter, Carlos has built one of... Read More →
avatar for Justin Morrissey

Justin Morrissey

Place Management Officer, Blue Mountains City Council
Justin has been involved in theatre, film and music industries for over ten years. He has produced, performed and managed numerous theatre and dance productions and been involved in the planning and production of major festivals, such as Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, New South Wales... Read More →
avatar for Phillippa Staffas

Phillippa Staffas

Business Developer, Centrum för AMP
...
avatar for Sylwia Widzisz

Sylwia Widzisz

researcher, Pronobis Studio / Silesian University of Technology
An architect and urban planner specialising in participatory design, and a placemaking practitioner. A lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, Silesian University of Technology. She has carried out research projects in the fields of inclusive design, regeneration and... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, workshop

2:30pm CEST

Traces & Places: How Placekeeping Reveals Community Treasures (Hands-On Outdoor Workshop)
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Czasoprzestrzeń Outdoors
In this 75-minute outdoor workshop, participants will become both designers and community members, exploring a low-cost, replicable approach to placekeeping that builds on existing neighborhood assets rather than replacing them.
Using tactical urbanism techniques, we will identify an underused or overlooked public space and collectively transform it through simple, temporary interventions. Participants will reconfigure cardboard “furniture,” reimagine forgotten corners, and create context-aware street art using shadows, reflections, and simple projections. Inspired by artists such as Greg Goya, OAK OAK, NAWER, Boris Nieslony, and Ernest Zacharevičius, these interventions will respond directly to the character of the site.
Together, we will recreate the atmosphere of a neighborhood café and explore how coffee, tea, conversation, and gathering rituals from different cultures can activate public space and strengthen social connections. Through brief on-the-spot interviews, participants will uncover hidden local stories and reflect on how hands-on design can foster belonging and collective memory.
No previous experience is required. Participants will leave with practical placekeeping tools, new strategies for community engagement, and a fresh perspective on how everyday spaces can become catalysts for social and cultural change.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Czasoprzestrzeń Outdoors Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, outdoor sessions

2:30pm CEST

Care‑Based Networks: How Regional Placemaking Learns, Shares and Sustains Itself
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
This session explores how regional placemaking networks emerge, evolve, and sustain themselves across different European contexts. Practitioners from Austria, Norway, France, and Germany will share how their networks operate, what challenges they face, and what opportunities arise when practitioners, researchers and public officials collaborate across territories.
We will collectively examine how we learn from each other, how we share knowledge, and how we amplify the impact of our work. Participants will be invited to reflect on what channels can energise our relational fabric: how do we build trust, maintain momentum, and cultivate a culture of openness in networks that are diverse, decentralised and constantly shifting.
The second part of the session will take the form of a collaborative workshop. Together, we will co‑design strategies, tools and actions to strengthen regional processes, identify cross‑national synergies, and support our communities. Inspired by care principles, where participation is voluntary, layered, and self‑determined, we will explore how networks can remain light, inclusive and resilient while distributing responsibilities and benefits fairly.
The goal is to leave with shared insights and practical pathways for nurturing regional placemaking ecosystems that are more connected, more agile, and more capable of shaping just and vibrant urban futures.


Speakers
avatar for Laurie Duran

Laurie Duran

Co-founder, Placemaking France
Laurie Duran is a placemaking practitioner working with project engineering and societal design. She is co-founder and member of a-ttrait and president of the association La Contrée, supporting community-led initiatives.
avatar for Roland Krebs

Roland Krebs

urban planner and designer, co-founder of superwien urbanism and co-founder of Placemaking Austria, superwien / Placemaking Austria
Roland Krebs is an urban planner and designer from Vienna (Austria) who develops strategic action plans for cities to tackle urban growth. Roland is a member of the chambers of architects and engineers in Vienna and Berlin and Lead Expert at URBACT, the European Union’s cities program... Read More →
avatar for Kimberly Weger

Kimberly Weger

Board Member, Placemaking Norway
Kim Weger works with participation and social inclusion, exploring how the theories of deliberative democracy can be applied within urban agriculture and placemaking projects. Kim comes from Canada and has her Master’s degree in political science from the University of Calgary... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 18, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Rooted in Resilience, workshop
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

Neighbourhoods as Living Labs: Communities Experimenting with Urban Futures
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Cities are glorious ecosystems, engines of innovation, places of reinvention and human connection. But meaningful change rarely starts at city scale. It starts at neighbourhood level where private, public, third sector and residents collaborate to experiment and shape their places together.


This session brings together organisations from London and Wroclaw, each taking a different path to the same conviction: that communities must be at the heart of how neighbourhoods evolve.


We will share real-life examples of neighbourhood experimentation. From London's Bankside, where a Victorian viaduct is being reimagined as a place for enterprise and connection, a business decarbonisation programme has scaled up from pilot to strategy, and an Alchemist in Residence is testing cultural interventions.


From Wroclaw, discover how collaborative cultural programmes and business–NGO hubs, led by Emma Foundation and its &BeyondLab Social Problem‑Solving Lab, are bringing together cultural institutions, municipalities, NGOs, businesses and residents to use futures‑oriented, design thinking and participatory foresight methods, turning shared visions into joint actions.


This session is not just about our stories. You will experience a compact futures literacy workshop, taking your own neighbourhood's vision and working backwards to identify today's actions. With a particular focus on how to meaningfully include those with limited systemic power so their perspectives influence real decisions.


You will leave with adaptable tools to use in your own place, and proof that when communities are given agency, neighbourhoods can become powerful laboratories.
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Gordon

Nicole Gordon

CEO, Better Bankside
Nicole Gordon is a senior place leader, with 20 years industry experience in shaping city districts. As CEO of Better Bankside, one of the UK’s longest established Business Improvement Districts, Nicole leads innovative economic, environmental and social action in the neighbourhood... Read More →
avatar for Aleksandra Bolek

Aleksandra Bolek

CEO, Emma Foundation
Placeholder
avatar for Donald Hyslop

Donald Hyslop

Chair, Better Bankside
Donald Hyslop is an Urbanist and consultant working across the world oninnovative social and urban developments. He has held long termleadership roles at Tate Modern and Borough Market and is Chair of BetterBankside. He advances the regeneration, reinvention, economic and socialdevelopment... Read More →
ES

Ewa Suchozebrska

Project Manager, Emma Foundation
Placeholder
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, workshop
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

Urban Prosthetics: A Child-Scale City Lab
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point
This session is a hands-on outdoor living lab where participants will explore how simple, temporary interventions can make public space more responsive to children and caregivers. Working in small groups, we will observe a site in the festival surroundings, identify barriers and opportunities from a child-scale perspective, and co-create rapid prototypes using lightweight materials.
The session may result in temporary signage, seating adjustments, ground markings, playful prompts, or orientation cues that make space more legible, welcoming, and inclusive. Participants will not only discuss child-friendly cities, but actively test how small changes can shift the experience of care, autonomy, accessibility, and belonging in everyday urban space.
The session is rooted in Ortopedia Urbana’s experience with participatory prototyping and child-friendly public space in Mexico, but it is designed as a transferable method that can be adapted in many contexts. Participants should join if they want to experience co-creation in action, learn a practical prototyping approach, and leave with tools they can apply in their own communities and cities.
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Gómez Ibarra

Elizabeth Gómez Ibarra

CEO, Ortopedia Urbana Foundation
Master in Social Innovation and Wellness Management, and Bachelor in Industrial Design from the University of Guadalajara. With a specialization in Accessibility and Universal Design in Urban Environments from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. Subjetc Teacher in... Read More →
avatar for Juan Alberto Ortega Pérez

Juan Alberto Ortega Pérez

Community Developtment, Ortopedia Urbana Foundation
Human Rights scholar and trained lawyer with experience in field-based work focused on community pedagogy. My practice connects legal thinking, participatory learning, and collective action, with a strong interest in how communities generate knowledge and transform their environments... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, outdoor sessions

2:30pm CEST

Windows to Utopia: Urban envisioning through cocreation and crafting
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model
”Windows to Utopia” is a cocreation practice combining art, crafts and urban envisioning. This method gives the participants a playful way of expressing themselves and interacting with the urban landscape. The participants are given a blanc, transparent canvas, through which they can look at the city and visualise their utopias with yarn, textiles, and other materials they are drawn to. Combining two-dimensional visions and three-dimensional reality, the windows offer a peek to the city we dream of. ”Windows to Utopia” is based on research of creative urban activism and people-place bonding: it shows how interacting with public places through hands-on work builds attachment to them.
Speakers
avatar for Varpu Kurkilahti

Varpu Kurkilahti

Creative urbanist with background in sociology, urban planning and textile work. My calling is to enforce people’s bonds with the urban environment, help new voices to be heard and to understand creativity as a driver of change in the cities.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 3:45pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 16a, 51-627 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, outdoor sessions
  • global Y

2:30pm CEST

Local Challenge 1: The Market Hall
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 5:30pm CEST
Market Hall
Hala Targowa, Wroclaw’s iconic central market hall is under pressure. Sales dropped over the years, and many of the services on the second floor have closed down. Meanwhile the market fulfills an important social function, and provides residents and visitors with access to healthy food, local delicacies, flowers and handcrafted goods. In recent years new approaches have been tried successfully, such as the addition of a few renowned specialty coffee bars, and hosting the food festival Gastro Miasto on the waterfront nearby. However more is needed to secure a sustainable future for the market hall. Wroclaw is inviting international placemaking experts to help answer: How can the Market Hall evolve into a more active and diverse local destination while preserving its existing vendors, distinctive character and everyday function? In this workshop you will learn all about the market halls’ current challenges and opportunities, and get to work with renowned experts on market cities. Together we co-create a strategic proposal for the market, including a shared vision, priority actions and a first implementation pathway. Bring your best practices and lessons learned, and leave a positive impact on Wroclaw this Placemaking Week Europe. 
Speakers
avatar for Steve Davies

Steve Davies

President & Board Member, Placemaking Fund/PlacemakingX
Steve is President of the Placemaking Fund, the sponsor organization of Placemaking X. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Project for Public Spaces (PPS) with Fred Kent and the late Kathy Madden. He continues to be an advocate for public spaces, placemaking, and public markets... Read More →
avatar for Małgorzata Golak

Małgorzata Golak

Director of the Economic Development Office, City of Wroclaw, City of Wroclaw
avatar for Edyta Pawlaczek

Edyta Pawlaczek

Senior specialist at Entrepreneurship Support Section, City of Wroclaw, City of Wroclaw
avatar for Janusz Bujko

Janusz Bujko

Founder of Beeline Research & Consulting, Beeline Research & Consulting
Janusz is an experienced sociologist and researcher who has worked on commercial research projects for businesses, as well as social research projects for municipalities, public institutions, and universities. As a co-founder and partner at Beeline Research & Consulting, he combines... Read More →
avatar for Levente Polyak

Levente Polyak

Director, Eutropian
Levente Polyak is urban planner, researcher, community advocate and policy adviser.  He has worked on urban regeneration programmes for the New York, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Budapest municipalities. He taught at MOME and BUTE (Budapest) and TU Wien and was visiting fellow at Columbia University... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 5:30pm CEST
Market Hall Piaskowa 17, 50-359 Wrocław, Poland

2:30pm CEST

Local Challenge 2: The Triangle Square
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 5:30pm CEST
Centrum Aktywności Lokalnej
In the coming years Kościuszki Street will be renovated. This will create an opportunity to rethink Triangle Square as a local meeting point for the community of Przedmieście Oławskie neighbourhood. The square will be pedestrianised, however it remains located next to a busy and potentially noisy central avenue. In the meantime the lively Local Activity Center is interested in developing the place as a community hub. Even more important, as it is the only public space in the otherwise densely populated neighbourhood. 
In this local challenge we will help the city of Wroclaw develop new ideas on how to make the square comfortable and recognisable as a neighbourhood place, rather than simply a residual pedestrian area. Think of ideas for seating, shade and climate comfort, but also on how to balance enticing programming with everyday use.

Together we answer: How can a small pedestrianised square become a comfortable, recognisable and well-used local meeting place?

Its transformation could serve as a model for other small “pocket” public spaces across the city. Bring your best practices and lessons learned, and leave a positive impact on Wroclaw this Placemaking Week Europe. 
Moderators
avatar for Laska Nenova

Laska Nenova

Founder BG Be Active, Board member Placemaking Europe, BG Be Active/Urban Nudges
Speakers
avatar for Tiago Mota Saraiva

Tiago Mota Saraiva

Founder of ateliermob, ateliermob / working with the 99% / FAUL (Lisbon School of Architecture)
Tiago Mota Saraiva is an architect, urban planner, and founding partner of the Ateliermob office and the Working with the 99% cooperative. Over the past two decades, he has developed a practice strongly committed to participatory processes, community-led projects, and cooperative... Read More →
avatar for Filipa Serpa

Filipa Serpa

Associate Professor at Lisbon School of Architecture-ULisboa, Lisbon School of Architecture
Filipa Serpa is an
architect and urban planner, specialised in Urban and Environmental Regeneration
and a PhD in Urbanism focused on publicly promoted housing projects. She
has been teaching at the Lisbon School of Architecture, University of Lisbon,
since 2000 and is current... Read More →
AB

Agata Bulicz

Manager of the Local Activity Center in Przedmieście Oławskie
GS

Grzegorz Stadnik

Local Activity Center in Przedmieście Oławskie
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:30pm - 5:30pm CEST
Centrum Aktywności Lokalnej Prądzyńskiego 39a, 50-433 Wrocław, Poland

4:15pm CEST

Meet the French network!
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
We are a group of collectives, civil servants and consultants who were wondering why there wasn’t a national network in France, because in France, placemaking is alive and well, even if le placemaking is not necessarily the term employed for user-centered city making. Our present goal is to create a bridge between Placemaking-aligned movements in France and elsewhere in Europe. 


If you are interested in getting to know our freshly launched Placemaking France network, to connect live and participate in growing that collective experience, join us for this informal and friendly discussion!


As this session is firstly intended to Frenchies, the discussions will be in French. However, we very much would like to connect beyond, with other placemakers and local networks, so please reach out to us and let’s meet!
Speakers
avatar for Clementine Robert

Clementine Robert

Working Group Co-ordinator, Place-led Development
Working Group Co-ordinator Place-led Development
avatar for Louis Robert

Louis Robert

Co-founder of the NGO Umarell, Umarell
Architect from ENSAPLV, he now works as a Project lead in participative processes for Urban planning, Placemaking and Social Solidarity Economy projects. In particular, he created 2 associative third places within the Quatre Chemins district for the association Pas Si Loin, and continued... Read More →
avatar for Laurie Duran

Laurie Duran

Co-founder, Placemaking France
Laurie Duran is a placemaking practitioner working with project engineering and societal design. She is co-founder and member of a-ttrait and president of the association La Contrée, supporting community-led initiatives.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 18, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, informal community session
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

One Hundred Thousand Wrocławs: Mapping a City Through Stories
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA Small room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
Every city has more than one map. One is made of streets, buildings, landmarks, and official histories. Another is made of memories, encounters, emotions, and personal stories connected to specific places. One Hundred Thousand Wrocławs (100kWro) is an attempt to create this second map.


The project is an open, participatory archive built around an interactive map of Wrocław. Residents will be invited to attach their own stories to particular locations — from bridges and squares to bus stops, stairwells, shops, or ordinary street corners. Together, these individual narratives will create a constantly evolving portrait of the city as experienced by the people who live in it.


During the session, we will explore how storytelling can become a tool for placemaking, building belonging, and preserving collective memory. But rather than only talking about the idea, we will put it into practice. Participants will choose a place that matters to them, write a short personal story, edit it in pairs, and share selected stories with the group.
By creating this temporary collective map together, we will ask a simple question: Can knowing someone else’s story change the way we see a place?
Speakers
avatar for Justyna Lach

Justyna Lach

co-creator, 100kWro
An intermedia artist and communication designer. She has one foot in the visual arts and the other in storytelling. For years, she has been working at the intersection of culture, education and social engagement, collaborating with institutions and NGOs (including the World Wildlife... Read More →
avatar for Robert Traczyk

Robert Traczyk

Co-creator, 100kwro; National Academy of Theatre Arts in Cracow, Branch in Wrocław
 Director, playwright and literary author, who has always been associated with Wrocław. A graduate of Wrocław University of Technology and the Academy of Theatre Arts (specialising in directing). His work lies at the intersection of theatre, literature and the performing arts... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA Small room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 18, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, workshop

4:15pm CEST

Revitalising Rural and Smaller Communities
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Rural areas and smaller communities often carry rich identities, histories, local knowledge and untapped potential. Yet conversations about their future frequently begin with what they lack: services, investment, connectivity, opportunities, or people. This session explores how different ways of seeing a place influence what we value in it and the kinds of transformations we consider possible. In this context, smaller communities may be rural villages and landscapes but also overlooked neighbourhoods and pockets within larger cities that function as close-knit communities with their own identities, relationships, and ways of using and valuing place. Taking the form of a World Café, this session brings together insights and practical experiences from different projects and initiatives working with different forms of place-based transformation across different rural, and small-scale contexts. After a series of short project pitches, participants choose the perspective they would like to explore further in smaller, interactive conversations. Through lenses such as beauty, belonging, heritage and tradition, tourism and economic value, local potential, nature, and community knowledge, the tables will explore the opportunities and tensions that emerge when places are revitalised. At the centre of the session is a broader question: how can placemaking support the future of rural and smaller communities while remaining attentive to the identities, relationships and everyday knowledge that already shape them? The session creates space for an open and layered conversation about change, belonging and local potential. It invites participants to compare experiences, make connections across different contexts and consider how placemaking can respond more carefully to the particular character of each place.
Speakers
avatar for Iris Perouliou Sergaki

Iris Perouliou Sergaki

Co founder, STIPO GREECE
I’m an architect and placemaker, and co-founder of STIPO Greece, working at the intersection of public space, culture, community and participatory urban development. My work explores how places can become more inclusive, meaningful and connected to the people who use and shape them.Come... Read More →
RV
avatar for Ewa Szymczyk

Ewa Szymczyk

Urban Researcher, AIT
Ewa Szymczyk is an urban researcher and qualified architect with a PhD in Urban Studies from Cracow University of Technology. Her work explores urban shrinkage, urban form, spatial justice, and sustainable urban development, bridging architectural thinking with spatial analysis, statistical... Read More →
avatar for Cornelis Uittenbogaard

Cornelis Uittenbogaard

Urban Planner, Övertorneå Municipality
Cornelis works as a town planner at the municipality of Övertorneå in the far north of Sweden. He has a long experience of working with public spaces and place development. His interests are placemaking, community development as well as photography with the aim to contribute to... Read More →
avatar for Roosmarie Stavenuiter

Roosmarie Stavenuiter

Urban Advisor, STIPO
Roosmarie is an urban advisor at STIPO and a real city maker. She brings experience from the world of area development and real estate, social work, programming and placemaking. In her own neighborhood she is actively involved in creating meeting places and social initiatives, always... Read More →
avatar for Milana Mijatović

Milana Mijatović

Associate, Placemaking Western Balkans (PWB)
Milana is a landscape architect and placemaking practitioner from Serbia, working across public space, spatial identity and community-led activation and green infrastructure. Her work connects spatial analysis with practical formats such as typologies, workshops, case-study research... Read More →
avatar for Arianna Rivolta

Arianna Rivolta

Founding member of STIPO Italy Cooperative, STIPO Italia
Arianna is a founding member of STIPO Italy Cooperative. She is an architect and urban planner, with a master's degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Politecnico di Milano. After spending a year in Sydney, she returned to Milan, where she focuses on public space — that in-between... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, workshop
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

Skate the City: Youth-Led Placemaking in Public Space
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point
What makes a public space skateable, welcoming and alive? In this outdoor walkshop, participants will explore the city through the eyes of skateboarders and young people who use public space actively, creatively and critically.


Together, we will take a short walk through Wroclaw and observe surfaces, edges, materials, safety, visibility, accessibility and informal patterns of use. The walk will lead us to an underused or poorly functioning public space, where we will discuss how small-scale tactical urbanism interventions could quickly activate the place for skateboarding, gathering and youth-led activities.


The session builds on the experience of the Skateholders project and Skateholders Forum festival in České Budějovice, where the local skateboarding community has become a platform connecting youth culture, public space, social participation and the European Capital of Culture 2028 programme.


Rather than presenting skateboarding as a niche activity or urban nuisance, the walkshop frames it as everyday placemaking: a way to build belonging, care, creativity and shared ownership in the city. Participants will leave with practical questions, observations and transferable tools for making public spaces more open to teenagers, informal culture and active use.
Speakers
FB
avatar for Matyáš Hansel

Matyáš Hansel

project manager, České Budějovice - Evropské hlavní město kultury 2028, z.ú.
Matyáš Hansel is a 25-year-old cultural manager with a background from Urban Studies at Leiden University, working at the intersection of community building, creative production and public space. He started in cultural programming at 16 with One World Ostrava festival, and later... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Iglica - meeting point Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, outdoor sessions

4:15pm CEST

Which came first, the chicken or the egg, when you think about public space? An exploration of space, asking whether it is people who create space to meet their need for movement, or whether it is space itself that makes us want to be active.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model
Street furniture is an important element of public space. But do we know what roles it can fulfil? The bench is a symbol in many urban projects, but we feel that its potential has still not been fully explored or utilised. We would like to invite participants at Placemaking Week Wrocław to explore the city and its street furniture, to see how such furniture can support the building of urban relationships through shared physical activity. 
In the spirit of ‘Active Design’, we will look for features of the bench that encourage movement and promote physical and mental wellbeing or features that feel hostile, whilst also serving as a symbol of social integration for the local community. We will explore a section of the city to encourage participants to reflect on their neighbourhood spaces, whilst at the same time getting some exercise for our health.
Speakers
avatar for Sylwia Widzisz

Sylwia Widzisz

researcher, Pronobis Studio / Silesian University of Technology
An architect and urban planner specialising in participatory design, and a placemaking practitioner. A lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, Silesian University of Technology. She has carried out research projects in the fields of inclusive design, regeneration and... Read More →
NG

Nektarios Gregoriou

member of an organisation, Organisation for Positive Urbanism
Nektarios is a product designer passionate about sustainable mobility, environmental challenges, and road safety. Through creative problem-solving and practical interventions, he explores how design can make cities more vibrant, resilient, and livable.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
WUWA exhibition model Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 16a, 51-627 Wrocław, Poland
  Building Belonging, outdoor sessions
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

From Consultation to Understanding: A Methodological Layer for Area Development
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Place-led development brings placemaking into commercial area development. The idea: developers and cities work together with the people who will live, work, and spend time there to create a place that serves them.

That requires three parties to align: developers and investors want to de-risk their decisions, cities want their public goals delivered, and users want a place that truly serves them. These interests meet in one place: When users get real value, developers and cities do too. And a reliable understanding of what users really need is the basis for creating value for them. Consultation and co-creation help build this understanding, but people can rarely name their deeper needs, and what they ask for is not always what makes a place work. This workshop introduces a method, grounded in behavioral science, for turning those deeper insights into spatial solutions.

This session is especially relevant for developers, investors, and the placemakers working with them who want to reduce risk and create lasting value by bringing evidence-based thinking into their next area development project.
Speakers
avatar for Christian Vatter

Christian Vatter

Founder & Spatial Strategist, Rlevance
Christian Vatter is a behavioral psychologist and spatial strategist, and founder of the Berlin strategy studio Rlevance. For over twenty years he has applied behavioral science and human-centered design to the built environment. He redefined the passenger experience for Los Angeles... Read More →

Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, workshop
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

From Neighbourhood to City: Scaling tactical urbanism to design resilient public spaces
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
While many cities have experimented with tactical urbanism, few have harnessed it as a scalable tool for climate adaptation. This session explores how to turn tactical urbanism into a programme that travels across neighbourhoods, survives political cycles, and eventually changes how the city design public space to be more welcoming and resilient.
Drawing on C40's Green and Thriving Neighbourhoods programme and its Community of Practice on Public Spaces, we put city practitioners into direct dialogue - examining how city programs like Milan’s shading efforts in public spaces, Rome's new call for tactical urbanism projects and Vancouver's street experiments.
We explore how tactical interventions can be designed from the outset to do more: cool streets, increase shade and greenery, build community capacity to adapt to a changing climate, and lay the groundwork for long-term neighbourhood resilience while remaining fast, low-cost, and adaptable.
This is a moderated practitioner panel designed for city-to-city exchange. Moving beyond traditional presentations, the moderator will facilitate a "behind-the-scenes" dialogue between city practitioners, focusing on the institutional plumbing required for scaling and replication.
Speakers
avatar for Camille Tallon

Camille Tallon

Senior Manager for Urban Planning and 15-minute city, C40 Cities
avatar for Andrew Pask

Andrew Pask

Steering Committee, Placemaking Canada
Andrew is a senior urban planner with the City of Vancouver, where his work focuses on policy development to support the creation of walkable, complete neighbourhoods. In 2006, he founded the Vancouver Public Space Network, a non-profit organization that undertakes placemaking, events... Read More →
avatar for Demetrio Scopelliti

Demetrio Scopelliti

Director for Urban Planning and Public Space, AMAT Agenzia Mobilità, Ambiente e Territorio, Milan
Director for Urban Planning and Public Space at AMAT Agenzia Mobilità, Ambiente e Territorio, Milan
EA

Elena Andreoni

Advisor for the deputy mayor for Urban Planning, Roma Capitale
Advisor for the deputy mayor for Urban Planning; Roma Capitale
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, panel discussion
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

Who Get's a Seat at the Table? Deconstructing Power and Cultivating Radical Empathy Through Urban Role-Play
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Traditional urban consultation often fails those it aims to serve, reaching only the "usual suspects" while marginalised frontline groups and the environment remain underrepresented and underserved. Community stakeholders are often seen as a liability rather than a valuable source of place-based knowledge. 


This interactive workshop, led by FairFuture and Demos Helsinki, reframes inclusive engagement from a “nice-to-have” aesthetic layer into an integral element for climate adaptation. Rather than just hearing about theoretical frameworks, you will dive headfirst into a playful arts-based, immersive role-play simulation. Navigating a real-world urban case study from the FairFuture project, you will step into the shoes of marginalized stakeholders, including "non-human" entities like local biodiversity and future generations.


By embodying these unexpected perspectives and navigating hidden behavioural cues, we will actively disrupt typical power hierarchies to negotiate a climate adaptation plan. This hands-on session will challenge your assumptions, surface systemic tensions, reveal new perspectives and cultivate radical empathy. You will leave not only with firsthand insights into the complexities of inclusive city-making, but with an actionable toolkit to embed deep, collective stewardship into your own municipal contexts.
Speakers
avatar for Vivien Franck
avatar for Seona Candy

Seona Candy

Senior Researcher, Demos Helsinki
Seona Candy leads the socio-ecological justice and just transitions theme at Demos Helsinki. Her work focuses on collaboratively imagining sustainable, equitable futures, while designing and monitoring transition pathways that are fair, legitimate, and socially just. Currently, S... Read More →
avatar for Yulia Suárez Bergmann

Yulia Suárez Bergmann

Project Officer, Ev.-luth. Kirchengemeinde Hamburg Veddel
Yulia Suárez Bergmann is an urban designer and geographer working at the intersection of urban development, climate adaptation and community-led change. She coordinates the local pilot of the EU-funded FairFuture project for the Evangelical Lutheran parish on Hamburg’s Veddel... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  It Takes a Village to Shape a City, workshop
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

Placemaking for Socially Resilient and More-than-Human Friendly Neighborhoods
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
This workshop explores how placemaking can support the co-creation of socially resilient and more-than-human friendly public spaces through inclusive, experimental, and nature-sensitive design processes.  
The session brings a multidisciplinary perspective to placemaking by focusing on the early stages of planning, design, and development of an experimental public space. It aims to highlight how public spaces can become platforms for testing new ideas, practices, and social innovations while strengthening relationships between communities and nature.  
A central focus of the workshop is the shift from purely human-centered planning toward more-than-human and nature-inclusive placemaking. Participants will explore how non-human species, particularly urban birds, can be recognized as living members of urban environments and legitimate stakeholders in participatory design processes. A biology expert from our team will contribute by introducing the ecological needs of birds and helping participants reflect on how biodiversity considerations can be integrated into placemaking practices.  
The workshop will be organized as an interactive co-production session using a design-thinking approach. Participants, including practitioners, city planners, students, administrative representatives, civil society actors, and experts, will work together to envision and outline a design and development program for a selected place. Through collaborative exercises, they will identify relevant stakeholders, map human and non-human needs, and explore how knowledge, responsibilities, and ideas can be shared among different actors.  
The session will begin with a World Café format, structured around thematic tables and table rotation. At each table, participants will work with facilitators to discuss key questions and document their ideas, impulses, and agreements on A3 posters. These posters will serve as visual records of the discussions and will support the presentation of outcomes in the next phase.  
This process will encourage participants to critically examine how power, interests, ecological needs, and social resilience can be integrated into participatory planning and design.
Speakers
avatar for Negin Amiri

Negin Amiri

PhD Candidate, TU Dortmund
Negin Amiri has been a PhD candidate in Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, since early 2023. Her research focuses on urban design governance and the development of innovative planning strategies that foster civic engagement and support informal... Read More →
avatar for Prof. Dr. Toni Gossmann

Prof. Dr. Toni Gossmann

Professor for Computational Systems Biology and Principal Investigator at the Faculty of Bio- and Chemical Engineering at TU Dortmund University, TU Dortmund
Prof. Dr. Toni Gossmann is Professor of Computational Systems Biology at the Faculty of Bio- and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University. His research group focuses on the evolutionary analysis of biological systems using population and molecular genetics approaches, with applications to key questions in e... Read More →
avatar for Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Othengrafen

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Othengrafen

Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Spatial Planning and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, TU Dortmund
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Othengrafen has been Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, since April 2019. Prior to this, he served as Junior Professor of Spatial Planning and Spatial Research with a focus on Regional Governance at the Institute of Environmental... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Sahar Javaheri Tehrani

Dr. Sahar Javaheri Tehrani

Postdoctoral researcher, TU Dortmund
I am an evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the genomic and ecological processes that shape phenotypic diversity and adaptation in natural populations, particularly birds. My current research focuses on the great tit (Parus major) complex, using population genomics... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Rooted in Resilience, workshop
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

Help Shape the Future of Cultural Spaces
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Help Shape the Future of Cultural Spaces


The Creative Coalition of The Hague (a cooperation between the municipality of the Hague and other real estate owners) is developing practical tools to create more affordable, accessible, and self-managed spaces for cultural initiatives and for placemakers. In collaboration with ULI and the Place-Led Development Working Group, we invite placemakers, cultural leaders, and urban innovators from across Europe to join this hands-on workshop.


We will share insights and tools developed through our work in The Hague and beyond, while exploring inspiring best practices from other cities. Most importantly, participants will co-create new approaches and practical tools to help unlock more space for culture, placemaking, creativity, and community.


Join us to exchange ideas, build connections, and help shape a better toolbox for cultural spaces across Europe. Together, we can create more room for culture and placemaking to thrive.
Speakers
avatar for Jeroen Laven

Jeroen Laven

Head of Culture, Placemaking Council Lead, City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council
City of The Hague, ULI European Placemaking Council, co-founder of Placemaking Europe
avatar for Arno Segeren

Arno Segeren

program manager, City of The Hague
Program manager for city making ('Stadmaken') in the city of the Hague. The program is aimed at facilitating initiatieves from the city, so that ideas can actually grow into full-fledged initiatives; initiatives that are valuable for the community, street, neighborhood, or city. The... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, workshop

4:15pm CEST

Sandbox to System: How Urban Experiments Scale and Endure
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Sandbox to System: How Urban Experiments Scale and Endure
Urban experiments are easy to start. Making them last or scale is another matter entirely.
This session brings together three organisations from Helsinki, Bucharest, and Berlin who have each spent years running civic and placemaking experiments in radically different contexts. Together they cover the full arc: how to design experiments that work, how to learn across many at once, and how to turn a successful temporary project into lasting urban infrastructure.
But this is also a peer-learning session. Participants bring their own experiments, projects that worked but haven't yet found a permanent home. Working across at least three tables, and drawing on concrete cases from each city, we map together what it takes to move from a one-off initiative to embedded urban practice: the organisational conditions, the right partners, the funding logic, and the cultural shift needed inside city administrations.
The shared question running through all three tables: what makes urban experiments successful, transferable, and repeatable? And what does it actually take to stop calling something a pilot?


Speakers
avatar for Timo Hämäläinen

Timo Hämäläinen

Senior Advisor, City of Helsinki
avatar for Sabina Mihailescu

Sabina Mihailescu

Co-Founder & General Manager, DearNeighbour
Sabina Mihailescu is the founder of Placemaking CEE and co-founder and General Manager of DearNeighbour, Romania's largest neighborhood community-building organization, active across 100+ communities in 32 cities with 15,000+ engaged neighbors. Her work starts from the courtyard... Read More →
avatar for Henriette Närger

Henriette Närger

Project Manager Kiezlabor, CityLAB / Technologie Stiftung Berlin
Henriette Närger is project manager of the Kiezlabor at CityLAB Berlin, Berlin's public innovation lab at the intersection of public administration, academia, and civil society. She works on connecting participatory design, urban development, and technology. Her background is in... Read More →
avatar for Katja Hermes

Katja Hermes

Strategic Operations, CityLAB / Technologiestiftung Berlin
Katja Hermes works at CityLAB Berlin, a civic innovation lab where she initiated and developed the Kiezlabor, Berlin's mobile urban lab. Since 2023, the Kiezlabor has toured more than 20 neighbourhoods, creating spaces where citizens and public administration develop ideas together... Read More →
avatar for Hannah Mühlbach

Hannah Mühlbach

working student, CityLAB / Technologiestiftung
Hannah Mühlbach is a designer and she works in the field of urban development and community participation. She is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Urban Design and works at the Kiezlabor at CityLAB Berlin.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime Tramwajowa 1-3, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, panel discussion
  • global Y

4:15pm CEST

Through Young Eyes - Reimagining Cities Together
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Otwarta Przestrzeń Kultury St. John of Nepomuk Church in Szczytnicki Park
What if the key to creating better public spaces was to see the city through the eyes of a
teenager?
Too often, we design places for young people instead of with them. In this highly interactive
workshop, you won’t just hear about youth engagement - you’ll experience it.
After reconnecting with your own memories of being 15, you’ll be introduced to four real places
from Slovakia, Denmark and Australia. Through photos and short stories, you’ll discover the
location, the challenges and the opportunities each community faced - but not the solutions.
Working in small teams, your challenge will be to reimagine one of these spaces and design a
place where young people feel welcome, valued and inspired to belong, create and participate.
Once each group presents its ideas, the facilitators will reveal what actually happened. You’ll
discover how young people co-designed and transformed these places, the methods used to
engage them, the obstacles encountered and the outcomes achieved - from community
gathering spaces and placemaking education to Aboriginal youth-led street transformation and
participatory research.
Leave with practical tools, fresh inspiration and a new perspective on co-creation, proving that
when young people are trusted as partners rather than consulted as an afterthought, they don’t
just shape better places - they help build stronger, more connected communities.
Speakers
avatar for Omar Mirza

Omar Mirza

City Curator, The City of Trenčín
Omar Mirza graduated in Art History from the University of Vienna. He worked as acurator of exhibitions and collections at the Nitra Gallery in Nitra, Slovakia, andcurrently works as the City Curator of Trenčín, European Capital of Culture 2026,where he focuses on transforming public... Read More →
avatar for Hana Laššová

Hana Laššová

Project manager for public space, Creative Institute Trenčín
Hana Laššová is an architect and Project Manager for Public Space at the CreativeInstitute Trenčín, the organization behind European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026.With experience across architecture, design, and project management, Hana focuseson transforming existing structures... Read More →
avatar for Irina-Teodora Comanita

Irina-Teodora Comanita

Research Mentor on Youth Engagement, DIS Copenhagen

avatar for Katarína Čechová

Katarína Čechová

-, Lunik CoLab
Katarína Čechová is an urban researcher and social designer based in Bratislava, Slovakia. With a background in Urban Studies and an MA in Social Design – Arts as Urban Innovation, her work explores the intersection of culture, community engagement, and public space. She has... Read More →
avatar for Tereza Sejkova

Tereza Sejkova

Lunik CoLab
Tereza Sejková is a social designer, project manager, and community strategist working at
the intersection of participatory urbanism, inclusive design, and community development.
She works as a Project Manager at Východné pobrežie, an urban design collective based in
Košice, Sl... Read More →
avatar for Patrycja Rosinska

Patrycja Rosinska

Community and Place Specialist, Doing Co (formerly Town Team Movement)
Patrycja Rosinska is a passionate arts and culture, community engagement, and place activation specialist with over 25 years’ experience across private, not-for-profit, and public sectors in Poland and Australia. 

Her work sits at the intersection of people, place, and creativi... Read More →
avatar for Fricka Lindemann

Fricka Lindemann

-, LunikCoLab
Fricka Lindemann (she/her) is based in Vienna and works at the intersection of political education, urban transformation, and community building. After studying Race & Ethnic Studies and Political Science in the United States, she completed an MA in Social Design – Arts as Urban... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm CEST
Otwarta Przestrzeń Kultury St. John of Nepomuk Church in Szczytnicki Park aleja Dąbska, 51-621 Wrocław, Poland
  Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment, workshop
  • global Y

5:00pm CEST

Nowe Promenady: Creating a TRUly Liveable Place
Wednesday September 23, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm CEST
Milosza 1 - Nowe Promenady
*SESSION CONDUCTED IN POLISH - SESJA PROWADZONA  W J. POLSKIM*


Gra terenowa dla uczestników z zadaniami do wykonania na specjalnie przygotowanych stacjach rozmieszczonych na terenie inwestycji Nowe Promenady. Uczestnicy będą mogli w aktywny i angażujący sposób poznać przestrzeń inwestycji, odkrywając kolejne punkty i realizując przygotowane wyzwania. Po zakończeniu gry zaplanowana jest krótka prelekcja poświęcona idei wydarzenia i miejscu, przedstawienie rzeźby wykonanej specjalnie na place making. Wieczorem odbędzie się także kino plenerowe – wspólny seans pod gołym niebem, który pozwoli uczestnikom spędzić czas w swobodnej, sąsiedzkiej atmosferze. 


Lokalizacja: Nowe Promenady, Czesława Miłosza 1, Wrocław
Speakers
avatar for TRU Development

TRU Development

Członek Zarządu, PZFD Wrocław
Od lutego 2023 roku Prezes Zarządu TRU Development Sp.  z o.o.  Zarządzał procesami inwestycyjnymi oraz transakcjami zakupu i sprzedaży nieruchomości. Od 2007 roku odpowiadał za rozwój nowych projektów deweloperskich i wynajem powierzchni komercyjnych w spółce Vantage... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm CEST
Milosza 1 - Nowe Promenady Czesława Miłosza 1, 50-304 Wrocław, Poland

6:00pm CEST

Wednesday Evening Plenary
Wednesday September 23, 2026 6:00pm - 7:15pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
More information is coming soon.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 6:00pm - 7:15pm CEST
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland

8:00pm CEST

Wednesday evening program
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00pm - 11:59pm CEST
Ruska 46
8:00 PM–10:00 PM — Bingo
A social evening with a slightly tongue-in-cheek twist — bingo with humor, unusual categories, small prizes, and a relaxed atmosphere. More of an excuse to spend time together than a classic game.

From 10:00 PM — “NEON FEVER”
An ’80s-inspired party — synth-pop, disco, neon lights, dance classics, and a retro vibe lasting late into the night. We want to create a night that feels partly like a nostalgic throwback and partly like an over-the-top VHS-and-neon-club-style party.

From 9:00 PM “Open Decks Connection”
Sets delivered by Placemaking Week Europe community DJs.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00pm - 11:59pm CEST
Ruska 46 Ruska 46A/201, 50-079 Wrocław, Poland
  evening program
 
From €39.91
Placemaking Week Europe 2026
From €39.91

Get help with the event

Contact event planner Event login
View support guides Find upcoming events
Create an event you'd love to attend!
Explore why organizers choose Sched • Success stories
Event App • Event scheduling • Event registration • Event ticketing • Sched forms • Call for papers • Badges • Conferences
© 2026. SCHED LLC - All rights reserved - Helping events since 2008
Event Planning Software • Privacy • Terms
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Filtered by Date - 
Clear filter
Tuesday, September 22
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 25
2nd floor near bar - Cinema New Horizons
Barbara
Centrum Aktywności Lokalnej
CUKR Fundacja Ukraina / Foundation Ukraine
Czasoprzestrzeń Outdoors
Entrance of the Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) - meeting point
Foyer - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Fred Kent Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Iglica - meeting point
Jane Jacobs Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Kathy Madden Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Klub Łącznik
Market Hall
Mediateka (-1 floor)
Milosza 1 - Nowe Promenady
MOST - Młodzieżowy Ośrodek Spotkań i Twórczości
Museum of Architecture
ODLOT. / Local Community Center
Otwarta Przestrzeń Kultury St. John of Nepomuk Church in Szczytnicki Park
Piekarnia Żywa Kultura / PIEKARNIA Living Culture
Plac Nowy Targ
Plenary Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Ruska 46
Small Room - PRZED·POKÓJ
Space Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Teki - Miasteczko Studenckie "Wittigowo" Politechniki Wrocławskiej
The White Stork Synagogue
Time Room - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Train Depot - Czasoprzestrzeń / SpaceTime
Upstairs Cinema Hall 9 - Cinema New Horizons
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)
Wrocławski Dom Literatury / House of Literature
WUWA exhibition model
WUWA Living Room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
WUWA Small room - Lower Silesia Regional Chamber of Architects
Xawery Dunikowski Boulevard
Yoga Room - PRZED·POKÓJ
Żyjnia / Lifery
  • Building Belonging
  • evening program
  • It Takes a Village to Shape a City
  • opening event
  • plenary
  • Rooted in Resilience
  • Sandbox City: the Courage to Experiment
  • session code
  • TV07-P
  • Subject
  • It Takes a Village to Shape a City
  • Popular