The metrics and the place: lessons from Mexico City

Every time I return to Mexico City, I leave with the same renewed question: the city for whom? It is an old debate, but in CDMX it feels urgent and […]
A Quiet Rebellion – Berlin’s Kiezblocks

In neighbourhoods across Berlin, a quiet rebellion is unfolding in the form of Kiezblocks (or “neighbourhood blocks”). What began as a grassroots response to political inertia and rat-running cars has […]
Trenčín: The City as a Stage

Glimpses from the Trenčín 2026 opening weekend Last weekend, I had the pleasure of taking part in the opening week celebrating Trenčín as the European Capital of Culture for 2026. […]
Studying Kraków While Living in It as an Urban Life & Placemaking Student

For one week, I took over the Placemaking Europe Instagram from Kraków, the city I temporarily called home. I’m Jill, a 22-year-old student from the Netherlands, studying International Event Management with […]
The Feminist Placemaking Program of “The Gendered City”

Picture of Mara Arten for The Gendered City The Feminist Placemaking Program is a global-first initiative designed to dismantle the “neutral” city and reconstruct it through a lens of equity, […]
Placemaking Europe Year in Retrospect – 2025 Edition

Introduction From its very first inception at the global Placemaking Week in Amsterdam in 2017, Placemaking Europe’s mission has been to build capacity, strengthen connections and amplify the voices of […]
Instagram Takeover: Exploring Helsinki with Päivi Raivio – from Rocks to Welcoming Winter Spaces

During her Instagram takeover, Päivi Raivio guided us through the places, stories, and events that make Helsinki vibrant, engaging, and full of character. We visited her favorite spots, explored the […]
Wroclaw opens its story for Placemaking Week Europe 2026

Report from site visit in December 2025 Arriving in Wroclaw in the evening was the best moment to plunge into the Christmas Market that was spanning across all of the […]
Rotterdam, unpolished love

When I return to Rotterdam, I feel my feet land on something firm and familiar. Perhaps it’s the design ambition that lives openly across the city: visible, imperfect, and unashamed. […]
The Bike-Led Makeover of Paris

Insights from the ReGreeneration project meeting on how Paris combines bold political will, tactical trials, participation and advanced know-how to accelerate climate-led urban change