‘Cities in Placemaking’: 12 cities unite in The Hague to tackle urban challenges

10 February 2025

The Hague is hosting ‘Cities in Placemaking: 12 Cities Embracing Placemaking to Tackle Urban Challenges’ on 11-12 February 2025 in Amare. This event will bring together representatives from twelve European cities that have collaborated over the past two years to enhance urban development, co-create with citizens, and address community needs.

During the event, the ‘Agenda for Making Placemaking Systemic’ will be presented. This roadmap outlines key principles for integrating placemaking into urban governance, advocating for high-quality public spaces as essential to thriving, inclusive cities. It promotes a balanced approach to physical design (hardware), social activities (software), and effective management (orgware) to support long-term urban transformation.

Placemaking is a key tool in urban development, transforming public spaces into vibrant community hubs that encourage social interaction, cultural expression, and economic activity. Well-designed public spaces enhance well-being, improve safety, and strengthen local economies. By embedding placemaking into urban policies, cities can foster more inclusive and resilient environments.

About the event

The event in The Hague will showcase local and international placemaking efforts through workshops, site visits, and discussions. Mayors, policymakers, and urban leaders will explore ways to embed placemaking into governance models and promote long-term impact. By uniting decision-makers and practitioners, ‘Cities in Placemaking’ reinforces the message that public spaces are central to social and civic life. The participating cities are Bergen (Norway), Bradford (England), Budapest (Hungary), Cork (Ireland), Helsingborg (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), Reggio Emilia (Italy), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Trenčín (Slovakia), Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal), Wrocław (Poland), and Vinnytsia (Ukraine). Click here if you want to participate for the public sessions in Amare or attend online.