Name: Turning Back to Water: How to Reclaim Public Spaces for Everyday Life?
Start: 2026-09-24T11:45:00+0200
End: 2026-09-24T13:00:00+0200

Creating better cities together.

Turning Back to Water: How to Reclaim Public Spaces for Everyday Life?

Thursday September 24, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST

William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB)

Across Europe, cities are rediscovering their rivers, canals, and waterfronts, not only as blue infrastructure but as places for everyday life, social connection and climate resilience. Yet turning this vision into reality often means navigating complex regulations, changing public perceptions, and building new partnerships between communities and institutions.
In this interactive workshop, practitioners from Budapest, Vienna, and České Budějovice will share how they are testing new ways of reconnecting people with urban water through placemaking. After short case presentations, participants will work in small groups to tackle real-world challenges, exchange experiences, and co-develop solutions for making water more accessible and integrated into everyday urban life.
Join us to explore how central European cities can turn back to water as a shared public space.

Speakers

Kata Balogh

Project Manager, Valyo - City and River Association in Budapest

Kata Balogh is a cultural manager and artist working at the intersection of public space, community engagement, and creative placemaking. She is a Project and Cultural Manager at Valyo – City and River Association, where she develops participatory programs and creative placemaking... Read More →

Samu Fazekas

Community and Project Manager, Valyo - City and River Association in Budapest

Samu Fazekas is a community and project manager at City and River Association. Samu works passionately on bringing citizens closer to the Danube with riverside placemaking projects, urban swimming advocacy or organising the yearly canoeing-kayaking demonstration on the Danube with... Read More →

Jan Gartner

founder & Managing Director of Raumpioniere, co-founder of Placemaking Austria, Raumpioniere / Placemaking Austria

Jan Gartner founder & Managing Director of Raumpioniere, working with city-makers in Austria and beyond, and co-founder of Placemaking Austria. My focus lies in participatory urban design and the development and management of urban innovation processes, both in cities and rural a... Read More →

Dániel Győrfi

Architect and Urbanist, Valyo - City and River Association in Budapest

Dániel Győrfi is an architect and urbanist working at the intersection of public space, climate adaptation and community-led urban transformation. As a member of the City and River Association, he has contributed to the Roller Mill project and a range of interventions along the... Read More →

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 →

Cecilia Lohasz

Geographer, founder and operational lead of Valyo, Valyo - City and River Association in Budapest

Cecilia Lohasz is a geographer and the founder and operational lead of Valyo – City and River Association. She works on placemaking initiatives along the Danube River in Budapest to reconnect people with the river and shape more inclusive places. She co-managed the Excellent for... Read More →

Vivian Monteiro Malta

Urbanist and Board Member, Placemaking Austria

Vivian Monteiro is an urbanist and founding member of Placemaking Austria. With experience in international projects on sustainable urban transformation, public space, and climate resilience, her work focuses on connecting placemaking, experimentation, and urban policy to create more... Read More →

Ivan Matejić

Project Manager, České Budějovice (CZE) - European Capital of Culture 2028

Ivan Matejić is a project manager at the institution preparing České Budějovice, Czech Republic, for its role as the European Capital of Culture in 2028. He is responsible for strategic development, evaluation processes, and public space projects.

Linda Svobodova

architect, urbanist and member of the Department of Urban Planning, City Hall of České Budějovice

Linda Svobodová is an architect, urbanist and member of the Department of Urban Planning at the City Hall of České Budějovice. With experience from both architectural practice and public administration, she has worked on projects ranging from architectural design to urban planning... Read More →

Thursday September 24, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm CEST
William H. Whyte Room - Wroclaw Congress Center (RCTB) Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocław, Poland

Rooted in Resilience, workshop

Tickets

Success you have shared X tickets.

Placemaking Week Europe 2026