Creative Europe
Desk UK
for Culture

Architecture and public space are basic features of history, culture and social life in European cities.
The fact that good quality architecture can contribute towards social cohesion by improving the habitat and the relationship between citizens
and their environment gave rise to the creation in 2000 of the European Prize for Urban Public Space with the aim of its becoming a
permanent observatory on the transformation and improvement of public spaces in European cities.
Twelve years later, with a consolidated European network, it has accrued a very large collection of examples of good practice in the
renovation of public space. It is now time to interpret, translate and analyse all this knowledge. This is the quantum leap represented by
“EUROPE CITY”.
Four top-ranking institutions in the sphere of European public space – the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, the Museum of
Architecture and Design (Ljubljana), the Museum of Finnish Architecture (Helsinki) and The Architecture Foundation (London) – have decided
to pool their knowledge and jointly take up the challenge of exploring, sharing experiences, interacting and generating discussion concerning
the challenges of public space in Europe.
This is to be achieved through the following activities:
– Co-production of the exhibition “Europe City: Lessons from the European Prize for Urban Public Space”, to be shown in Ljubljana,
Barcelona, Helsinki and London.
– 6 series of debates and conferences of different formats in the different locations.
– Organisation of 5 workshops in the headquarters of all partners to raise awareness of public space among new audiences (children and
adolescents) and to explore the links between theatre and city.
– Research interpreting the Prize archive.
– Publication of the final results of research in the book Europe City
– Publicising the results in 10 European cities.
– Consolidation of the European network around the website www.publicspace.org