UTOPIZE Forum
How can we build cities that work for everyone?
This was the question at the heart of the UTOPIZE Forum, held online on 9 June 2026 as a Satellite Event of the New European Bauhaus Festival 2026.
The Forum brought together voices from architecture, democratic practice, research, digital innovation and participatory urban transformation to reflect on one of the central challenges of contemporary urban life: how to create public spaces that are well designed, but also inclusive, trusted, sustainable and shaped with the people who use them every day.
The discussion brought together Nefeli Georgakopoulou from the SPICE – Sustainable Public spaces through Inclusive Community Engagement, Bahanur Nasya from Wonderland – Platform for European Architecture, Carlotta Fontana Valenti from Democratic Society, and Pia Fricker and Chiara Chioni from Aalto University, with moderation by Marília Cunha from INOVA+.
A recurring message emerged throughout the Forum: participation cannot be treated as a final step in urban transformation. It must be part of how problems are framed, how knowledge is shared, how priorities are negotiated and how change is carried forward over time.
The Forum also highlighted the need to meet people where they are, which means that participatory governance cannot remain inside institutional spaces. It needs to reach everyday places, local networks and trusted community actors, especially when trying to include people who are not usually represented.
Digital and creative tools were also discussed as ways to make complex urban challenges more visible, accessible and negotiable. Their value lies in supporting dialogue and action and enriching human exchange.
The “crisis in the city” exercise invited participants to put these ideas into practice. By working through an imagined urban challenge, participants reflected on how cities respond under pressure, how decisions are made, and how collaboration can help communities become more resilient.
Above all, the Forum showed that democracy is a continuous practice. Cities need spaces for encounter, disagreement and negotiation, where people can listen, adapt and co-create better places together.
These insights remind us that building cities that work for everyone requires more than inviting people into a process. It requires trust, clarity, shared responsibility and the possibility of real influence.
As part of the New European Bauhaus community, UTOPIZE will continue exploring how public spaces can become more sustainable, inclusive and beautiful through co-design, experimentation and collaboration.
The full discussion is available to watch here.
