February 28, 2025

Habitat

Using public spaces to celebrate social unity and improve the quality of life

Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound, Warsaw (Poland), 2023

Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound, Warsaw (Poland), 2023

"A new park in central Warsaw integrates the area's history by recycling World War II ruins to create an accessible, enjoyable public space that combines memory, leisure and ecological sensibility."

The European Prize for Urban Public Space is a biennial award that honors exceptional projects that create, transform, or restore public spaces in European cities. This honorary prize highlights the vital role of public space as a catalyst for urban life.

A jury of architects, planners, designers, critics, historians, and curators evaluates projects based on several criteria, including the significance of the intervention, public ownership or a strong public-spirited mission, citizen participation and engagement, environmental improvements and innovations, and the project's ability to reduce social divides and enhance quality of life.

Their website is an inspiring survey of why public spaces matter.

WEBSITE: PublicSpace.org

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Design Matters

SUPPORT: Love & Work Catalog

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How small design choices make public spaces truly public

PAPER: The Public Library Building As Nexus For Social Interactions: Cases From Helsinki

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Bamboo is reshaping commercial architecture.

ARTICLE: Schools, Airports, High-Rise Towers: Architects Urged To Get ‘Bamboo-Ready’

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As office attendance has yet to rebound, central libraries are bringing people and energy back to city centers.

REPORT: Downtown Libraries Are the Anchors Cities Need