Districts in placemaking is a new global leadership programme supporting districts to create vibrant public spaces that serve both community needs and the planet. Initiated by Placemaking Europe, the Global Cultural Districts Network, and PlacemakingX, this two-year capacity-building initiative is designed for those shaping the future of cultural, innovation, commercial, and campus districts around the world.
Our Journey so Far…
From Cities to Districts: Scaling the Impact of Placemaking
It all began with our Cities in Placemaking programme, a city-to-city learning journey that brought together 12 pioneering European municipalities to exchange knowledge, test ideas, and strengthen urban governance through placemaking. The first edition reached eight key milestones, culminating in the signing of the Agenda for Making Placemaking Systemic by the participating mayors – a major step toward embedding placemaking into municipal decision-making. This shift was driven by an interdepartmental working group of over 50 officials from across diverse fields, ensuring a truly holistic and inclusive approach.
Building on that impact, we are now zooming in our focus from city-wide strategy to district-scale transformation cities, unlocking new opportunities in campuses, cultural and innovation districts, commercial areas, and beyond:
Districts in Placemaking builds on the foundation laid by our Cities in Placemaking programme, shifting focus to campuses, cultural and innovation districts, commercial areas, and large-scale developments around the globe to foster community collaboration, create dynamic and inclusive public spaces, and drive ecological innovation. Within this programme, in partnership with the Global Cultural Districts Network, Placemaking X and The Place Institute, we build capacity to shape sustainable, vibrant, and resilient places and cultivate a new generation of placemaking experts. through working, sharing, and learning alongside participating districts.
What is DiP?
A global leadership programme shaping the future of public spaces in cultural, innovation, and commercial districts:
Districts in Placemaking is a leadership and continuous learning program designed for Cultural Districts, Innovation Districts, Campuses, Commercial Districts and Area Developers worldwide, with an initial phase of two years, focused on designing, implementing and managing public space processes.
Guided by a vision to create vibrant, sustainable, and resilient places, we help districts foster community engagement, promote inclusivity, and lead the ecological transition:
Our mission and vision is to empower districts to thrive by fostering community collaboration, creating dynamic and inclusive public spaces, and driving ecological innovation. Our program builds capacity to shape sustainable, vibrant, and resilient places for all cultivating a new generation of placemaking experts
We address key challenges by deepening partnerships with communities, enhancing public space management, and accelerating sustainable practices in district planning and operations.
Through the 8 milestones in the programme we aim to learn and strategise how to:
- Engage and collaborate with communities: foster deeper, more meaningful partnerships with local communities to ensure inclusive development and strengthen district identity.
- Enhance public space management: develop, curate, and maintain vibrant public spaces that are effectively programmed to serve diverse needs and enhance social cohesion.
- Accelerate the ecological transition: implement sustainable practices and green innovations to reduce environmental impact and promote resilience in district planning and operations.
Our methodology is built on learning by doing, working side-by-side with districts, sharing global best practices, and developing innovative projects and tools that drive real-world impact.
Through this, we aim to develop comprehensive placemaking knowledge, foster effective collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and empower districts to implement transformative projects.
Objectives:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of placemaking principles and practices;
- Foster effective inter-institutional collaboration with communities, public sector organisations and practitioners
- Plactically apply the learnings to implement public space and community projects, strategic innovations and evaluation tools, while driving change through the engagement of diverse stakeholders to accelerate the ecological transition
Establish a network of leading individuals and districts capable of implementing comprehensive, both short and long-term public space projects to build vibrant and inclusive areas.
The programme combines immersive learning formats, including in-person sessions with site visits and thematic exchanges, accessible online workshops for all district employees, individual consultations, and parallel pilot project implementation by each district.
Participation is open to partner districts committed to transforming public spaces, knowledge partners who bring expert insights, and various district types across public and private sectors.
Districts from around the world eager to transform their public spaces are invited to apply. Whether you manage cultural, innovation, commercial districts, waterfronts, university campuses, or large-scale developments, this programme is for you.
Partner District
A partner district is one that actively engages in implementing strategies to transform its public spaces in ways that promote inclusion, sustainability, and urban vitality adopting a networked and systemic approach to public space development. We welcome participants involved in maintenance, programming, curation, community development, and/or strategy (at least three representatives across departments).
We also welcome knowledge partners, organisations, and experts who want to share their placemaking expertise.
Knowledge Partner
A knowledge partner is an allied organization that aims to contribute its capabilities and specialized knowledge in placemaking to the program.
This collaboration seeks to enrich the program with additional experiences and perspectives, strengthening the impact and effectiveness of placemaking in the participating districts.
Investment in this two-year programme is designed to ensure strong engagement and impactful outcomes, with tailored contributions for public districts, business districts, and knowledge partners.
- For partner districts
Duration: 2-year program.
Group of 4 districts: Each district contributes 20,000€ per year. - Knowledge Partners
Annual Contribution: Partners contribute a total of 20,000€ per year.
