Foreword - Co-Creation of Public Open Places. Practice – Reflection – Learning

Abstract

Public open space is a subject that belongs to us all. Every time we leave our homes, our private territory, we enter a space we have to share with others. Public space is the place for social interactions, strengthening sociability and ultimately exercising democracy. As a subject of study, public space has also long been analysed, explored and researched in various ways and under different guises, by planners, landscape architects and designers, anthropologists, social and cultural geographers, and urban historians. They all bring evidence on the role of public space in urban life, in the quality of urban environment and in the construction of cultural identity. Consequently, public space should deserve serious consideration by all - starting with those in charge and who hold regulatory responsibilities for those who use the places and ultimately give them life. As the UN-Habitat (2015) rightly recognises, a public space represents a key resource for social cohesion, economic development, and in particular liveability in urban settings. Public space is a resource that critically affects community values and positively impacts the quality of urban life. Backed by these premises, this book is about the co-creation of public open spaces, an issue at the core of the C3Places Project. To better understand the process, particularly the values of engaging people in the production of public space, is one of the C3Places’ objectives. The project is developing strategies and tools to help increase the quality and responsiveness of public spaces. In this process, the Project also aims to better understand how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can influence co-creation and social cohesion. The chapters of this book bring science a little closer to the knowledge about the design, production and management of public spaces. 37 authors responded to the Project’s call to share experiences, visions and reflections on how co-creation and participatory processes can create possibilities for a sustainable and equitable future.