Our mission and achievements
City Space Architecture is a non-profit cultural association established in 2013 and based in Bologna, Italy. It is registered in the Italian Revenue Agency, according to the Italian Law 383/2000, with the tax code IT91358070372. We do not hold a VAT/GST number.
We receive funding ONLY from membership fees, contributions, grants and donations. 100% of all donations goes towards supporting our projects and activities.
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OUR MISSION is to promote public space culture, through an interdisciplinary approach, involving art and architecture. We advocate a general awareness on public space and urbanity in the contemporary culture, focusing on a shared vision of our common liveable future. We work on education, academic research and innovative, human-oriented design by developing cultural projects of international cooperation.
Through a global community of scholars, academic professors, city managers, professionals, designers, artists and community leaders we foster a critical reflection on our own world, in a multidisciplinary field of action. We also have a vast volunteer base and people at the highest levels in several countries that have actively participated in our projects.
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OUR FOCUS is on studying, making, spreading and sharing public space culture by:
- engaging an intergenerational and inclusive audience in our projects and events, in Italy and abroad;
- implementing contents and issues included in the New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development held in Quito, Ecuador, on 17-20 October 2016, and to spread information regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals included in the Agenda 2030;
- producing public knowledge on public space through our open access, academic, interdisciplinary journal, 'The Journal of Public Space'. As a proper public space, The Journal of Public Space is a non-profit project, so it is free, accessible and inclusive, providing a platform for emerging and consolidated researchers; it is intended to foster research, showcase best practices and inform discussion about the more and more important issues related to public spaces in our changing and evolving societies. The Journal of Public Space is developed in cooperation with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme;
- promoting awareness about the importance of public space for sustainable urban development through our global campaign 'Stand up for Public Space!';
- expanding capacities on public space culture through our web magazine (non-academic) 'MaPS. Mastering Public Space', developed by the global comunity affiliated to City Space Architecture;
- educating a new generation of urban thinkers through the Public Space Academy, developed in cooperation with the Ove Arup Foundation, the first, free, interdisciplinary educational program aimed at establishing a new approach to urban complexity built around public space.
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OUR PARTNERS
Check the full list of our partners here.
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OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
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2022
City Space Architecture signed a cooperation agreement with UN-Habitat for the publication of a special issue of The Journal of Public Space to be developed in cooperation with CAPS - Centre for African Public Space.
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City Space Architecture received a generous grant from the Ove Arup Foundation to develop the Public Space Academy, the first, free, interdisciplinary educational program aimed at establishing a new approach to urban complexity built around public space.
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City Space Architecture signed a cooperation agreement with Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, United Arab Emirates, for the development of the Film Festival URBAN VISIONS. Architecture and the Future of Cities, which is the Arab edition of our Italian Festival URBAN VISIONS. Beyond the Ideal City.
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City Space Architecture signed a cooperation agreement with BIDs Belgium and Global Utmaning for the development of the new program "Empowering Women, Public Space and Climate Change", affiliated to the UN-Habitat's Her City initiative, through the organization of online talks with the engagement of women leaders who are having an impact on redesigning processes and strategies for a new paradigm addressing a more sustainable and resilient urban future.
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City Space Architecture was selected to be an exhibitor at the 11th World Urban Forum (WUF11), taking place on 26-30 June 2022 in Katowice, Poland, convened by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The exhibition space hosted the 10-year celebration of the UN-Habitat's Global Public Space Programme with the engagement of global partners and stakeholders. At the Forum City Space Architecture organized a training event for the launch of the Public Space Academy, and participated as co-host in two networking events, developed in cooperation with World Blind Union and Eastern Mediterranean University. Our Founder and President Dr Luisa Bravo also organised a press conference at the UN Press Conference Centre for the launch of the special issue of The Journal of Public Space "Universally Accessible Public Spaces for ALL", developed in cooperation with World Blind Union. Watch the press conference here.
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City Space Architecture entered in a partnership with GCDN - Global Cultural Districts Network to develop a section of our web-magazine MaPS. Mastering Public Space dedicated to Cultural Districts.
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City Space Architecture signed a letter of agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia for the cooperation in developing The Journal of Public Space.
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2021
City Space Architecture was engaged in the Italian pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, promoted by the Venice Biennale, for the development of the project "Mapping Resilient Communities", with an installation and a series of hybrid events engaging global scholars and several representatives from UN-Habitat, including the IV conference from our successful series "Past Present and Future of Public Space". Read more here.
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City Space Architecture signed a cooperation agreement with Eastern Mediterranean University, (EMU URDC, Cyprus) in order to establish joint academic initiatives on architecture and urbanism, with a specific focus on public space, engaging students, young and established researchers, and literary scholars, at the global level, with a cross-disciplinary perspective. In 2022, as part of the agreement, the two institutions organized the webinar series "Celebrating Public Space". Watch the series on the Youtube playlist.
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City Space Architecture signed a cooperation agreement with World Blind Union for the publication of a special issue of The Journal of Public Space on "Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All", focusing on accessibility and universal design of public space.
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2020
City Space Architecture started a partnernship with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences for the European project From Prevention to Resilience: Designing Public Spaces in Times of Pandemics, developed in cooperation with leading international Universities, such as Harvard University, The Bartlett at UCL, University of Sydney, and with high level professional organizations, such as UNStudio, Pakhuis de Zwijger, The Beach, and with PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
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City Space Architecture received a generous donation from the Robert Bosch Foundation (Germany) to support the development of The Journal of Public Space.
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City Space Architecture, in cooperation with the School of Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, developed the online global initiative '2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic', disseminated through The Journal of Public Space. The initiative was developed from May to November, with 20 webinars and a final 2-day symposium, it engaged 15+ Universities, 100+ speakers, 2700+ attendees from 80+ countries, together with representatives from UN-Habitat.
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City Space Architecture signed a letter of agreement with the School of Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong SAR for the cooperation in developing The Journal of Public Space.
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City Space Architecture was selected to be an exhibitor at the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF10), taking place on 8-13 February 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, convened by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The Forum is a high level, open and inclusive platform. This was the first time that an Arab country hosted the world’s most important conference on cities and human settlements. The theme of WUF10 in Abu Dhabi was 'Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation'. A full report of our activities in available here.
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2019
City Space Architecture signed a letter of agreement with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, during the first UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi (May 2019), in order to collaborate on the development of The Journal of Public Space, the first-ever open access journal entirely dedicated to public space, and on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda adopted at the Habitat III conference, held in Quito (Ecuador, 2016) and of the Sustainable Development Goals related to the Agenda 2030.
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City Space Architecture received a grant grom the Creative Europe program of the European Union as a partner of the project A-Place. Linking places through networked artistic practices, coordinated by La Salle University in Barcelona, Spain. Read more here.
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City Space Architecture signed a letter of agreement with KTH Royal Institue of Technology, Centre for the Future of Places in Stockholm (Sweden) for the cooperation in developing The Journal of Public Space.
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City Space Architecture signed a letter of agreement with RMIT University in Melbourne (Australia) for the cooperation in developing The Journal of Public Space.
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City Space Architecture, in cooperation with the for-profit company Genius Saeculi, established in Bologna the Public Space Museum, a transdisciplinary, inclusive and plural place that experiments methodologies at the intersection of art, architecture and technology with the aim to investigate the complexity of public space culture. It promotes research and training activities, artistic initiatives, workshops, public dialogues and residency programs for artists and researchers, in partnership with Universities, civil society organizations, creative industries, public and private institutions. The Museum is curated by our Founder and President Dr Luisa Bravo.
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2018
City Space Architecture was selected to be part of the Ninth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF9), taking place on 7-13 February 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, convened by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. This ninth session has been recognized by the General Assembly resolution 70/210 as the first session to have a thematic focus on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) adopted at Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development, held in Quito, Ecuador, in 2016. Here is a list of City Space Architecture's activities at WUF9:
https://www.cityspacearchitecture.org/wuf9
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2017
City Space Architecture signed a three-year term memorandum of understanding with the IUAV University in Venice, in order to host internship programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
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2016
City Space Architecture was selected, among more than 1.000 proposals from all over the world, to coordinate a netwoking event at the Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador. City Space Architecture launched the global campaign Stand up for Public Space!, as a research project intended to spread awareness about the importance of public space in our cities, in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology (Australia), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, LASE+CityUrb (Ecuador) and the University of Auckland (New Zealand).
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City Space Architecture joined the United Nations General Assembly of Partners (GAP), Research and Academia Partner Constituent Group (RAPCG).
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City Space Architecture was included in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Civil Society database.
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City Space Architecture signed a three-year term memorandum of understanding with the University of Bologna in order to host internship programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students from the School of Engineering and Architecture.
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City Space Architecture signed an agreement with La Biennale di Venezia in order to be included in the "Biennale Sessions", a special program promoted by the Venice Architecture Biennale for Universities, Academies of Fine Arts and Higher Education Institutions in order to be actively involved in the visit of the exhibition and promote special events and meetings, as part of our educational activities (renewed in 2018).
2015
City Space Architecture singned a memorandum of understanding with Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) for the research project called "New Paradigm / New Tools for Architectural Heritage in Canada", funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Program, that supports the development of highly qualified personnel (HQP) in the critical understanding and ethical use of new and emerging digital technologies for the conservation and management of our architectural heritage. The project is coordinated by CIMS - Carleton Immersive Media Studio and it involves leading international institutions and universities, for the period 2015-2022.
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2014
After the first successful international conference 'Past Present and Future of Public Space', held in Bologna (2014), City Space Architecture established the 'Past Present and Future of Public Space' Research Group, coordinated by Dr Luisa Bravo, our President. Read more here.
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2013
City Space Architecture was included in the list of nonprofit cultural organizations of the Municipality of Bologna, Italy.
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