6th Past Present and Future of Public Space international conference
City Space Architecture is pleased to announce the sixth edition of the international, interdisciplinary academic conference “Past Present and Future of Public Space”, to be held on 7-9 July 2026, in a hybrid format. The conference continues a long-term commitment to advancing knowledge, debate, and action on public space as a key resource for more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable cities.
The 2024 edition, organised ten years after the first conference, marked an important anniversary in this trajectory. It brought together scholars, practitioners, policy-makers, artists, and activists worldwide, reaffirming the relevance of public space as a laboratory for innovation, civic engagement, and social justice, and consolidating a global network of collaborations initiated in 2014.
In 2026, the conference will open a new phase in this conversation, addressing pressing contemporary challenges and exploring how public space can support new forms of participation, care, and collective imagination.
PARTICIPATION (in person and online)
A small group of public space experts will gather at the City Space Architecture headquarters, Museo Spazio Pubblico, in Bologna, while a larger audience will be engaged online, through sessions, debates and keynote lectures.
Only City Space Architecture members can participate in the in-person activities in Bologna, and a very small group of invited guests.
On 10 July 2026, an in-person workshop of the Public Space Academy will take place at Museo Spazio Pubblico in Bologna.
REGISTRATION
1 – 22 May 2026 / early bird registration
23 May – 21 June / regular registration
*** We offer reduced fees for low-income countries. Read the list of low-income countries here. Send us an email for more information.
The 2024 edition, organised ten years after the first conference, marked an important anniversary in this trajectory. It brought together scholars, practitioners, policy-makers, artists, and activists worldwide, reaffirming the relevance of public space as a laboratory for innovation, civic engagement, and social justice, and consolidating a global network of collaborations initiated in 2014.
In 2026, the conference will open a new phase in this conversation, addressing pressing contemporary challenges and exploring how public space can support new forms of participation, care, and collective imagination.
PARTICIPATION (in person and online)
A small group of public space experts will gather at the City Space Architecture headquarters, Museo Spazio Pubblico, in Bologna, while a larger audience will be engaged online, through sessions, debates and keynote lectures.
Only City Space Architecture members can participate in the in-person activities in Bologna, and a very small group of invited guests.
On 10 July 2026, an in-person workshop of the Public Space Academy will take place at Museo Spazio Pubblico in Bologna.
REGISTRATION
1 – 22 May 2026 / early bird registration
23 May – 21 June / regular registration
*** We offer reduced fees for low-income countries. Read the list of low-income countries here. Send us an email for more information.
