The First Year of UrbCitizenPower: Groningen’s Perspective

The municipality of Groningen has enjoyed a productive year working with the partners and stakeholders of UrbCitizenPower. The project was successfully initiated in Kiel, providing Groningen with valuable insight into the range of initiatives that will be pursued in the coming years. Groningen is participating in the Design Guideline Liveability of Public Space, and the policy instrument has many connections with the other partners. The policy instrument addresses the diverse aspects of public spaces and challenges us to think more holistically when it comes to public space transition. Public spaces and streets are places for interaction, play, physical activity, social engagement, expression of local identity, climate resilience and active mobility.

The first stakeholder meeting was held in June 2024, where about 15 practitioners working with the policy instrument were invited to share their experiences. The meeting was an engaging discussion that provided insight into the diverse challenges of transitioning public spaces and the complexities of working multidisciplinary. The meeting facilitated knowledge-sharing among participants, who were able to draw on their experiences from various projects. The insights from these stakeholders have been invaluable in refining the Design Guideline. For new projects, greater emphasis is placed on identifying project priorities, the role of citizens in contributing to street transition and the incorporation of all street dimensions.

Good practices have been demonstrated on how citizens can contribute to place-making during the Urban Lab Field Visit in Braga in February 2025. This creative soundwalk provided extra depth to a public street. In general it was inspiring to see how cultural interventions can be used in urban (street) planning and design (with video’s and sound walks). This was also addressed in the very inspiring evening lecture by Charles Landry.

We would like to express our gratitude to Braga for sharing these valuable insights. We are looking forward to inviting all partners in 2025 to Groningen. Where we will engage with street transformation and liveability of public space.