Liveability Talks invites the public to reflect on urban innovation

The conversation will begin by exploring Groningen’s experience in transforming its urban space. In 1977, the city established itself at the forefront of urban planning by implementing the first traffic circulation plan in the Netherlands, an initiative that would significantly influence the organisation of urban mobility across Dutch cities. Groningen later gained further recognition by restricting car traffic in the city centre, reinforcing a people-first approach to the design and use of public space.

In recent decades, population growth in urban areas has intensified pressure on public spaces. In response, the municipality has implemented strategies to reclaim and redesign these areas, reducing space allocated to car and bicycle parking in favour of green spaces, sports facilities, leisure areas and social gathering places. These measures aim to enhance quality of life while contributing to improved public health.

A key instrument in this strategy is the Liveability Design Guide, an urban design guide developed in 2021 to support the creation of public spaces at a human scale. The document serves as a reference framework for the city’s urban planning, promoting solutions that prioritise sustainability, well-being and coexistence in public space.

Tamara Ekamper holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from Wageningen University & Research and works for the Municipality of Groningen, where she focuses on topics such as climate adaptation and the improvement of public spaces. Throughout her career, she has closely followed the impact of urban transformations on communities, reinforcing her interest in the relationship between people and the constantly evolving environments in which they live. She is also recognised for her ability to organise, coordinate and facilitate creative sessions that support reflection and responses to complex spatial transformation processes.

Participation in the session is free of charge, subject to prior registration. The session will be recorded, and the recording may subsequently be made available to registered participants and used for communication purposes.

The initiative was originally launched within the framework of the Interreg Liveability – Designing Public Services for Resilient Neighbourhoods project and is currently continuing through the Interreg Europe UrbCitizenPower project.

UrbCitizenPower (Interreg Europe 2024–2028), co-funded by the European Union, is based on a central premise: lasting urban transformation begins with empowered citizens. The project supports European cities in strengthening public governance while promoting active citizen participation in addressing contemporary social challenges.