The ‘Making Cities Together’ Urban Thinkers Campus will focus on the implementation of public spaces through participatory urban processes, like placemaking. Good quality public spaces are excellent starting points for improving the standards of urban life for all citizens. They support important aspects of a city, such as safety, health, and the local economy. This UTC offers participants the opportunity to actively engage in dialogues, living labs and networking sessions - learn-by-doing: in what way can you and your organization contribute to the implementation of public space interventions as a tool for regenerating and planning neighborhoods and cities worldwide.

The living labs take place at different locations in or near Nairobi, which in most cases are also connected to other events of INTI, like the New Town Lab in Tatu City and the public space project in neighbourhood Dandora. The conference is free of charge and invites city makers, city leaders, policy makers, grassroots leaders, students, urban professionals, private sector and citizens to join discussions, knowledge exchange and living lab sessions that will turn discussions into practice. For the program and to register visit the website of the UTC.

Next week will also see the festive opening of the first gateway to the Model Street in the neighbourhood of Dandora, Nairobi, with a community party. In cooperation with residents and grass roots organisations, using participatory meetings and Minecraft workshops, a design for public space in Dandora was made and executed for the pilot of the Model Street. Keep an eye on the website of Making Cities Together.

The UTC Making Cities Together is initiated by the International New Town Institute, Project for Public Spaces (PPS), UN-Habitat and our partner Placemakers and is organized in collaboration with KUWA – Urban Spaces By People, and Architects Without Borders – Sweden. The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) model is an initiative of UN Habitat’s World Urban Campaign.