What turns a space into a place?

Vivian Doumpa is an urban planner, geographer and board member of Placemaking Europe. For her, placemaking is more than activating a square or adding colourful furniture. It is a mindset that brings communities, public authorities and professionals together to rethink how shared places are used, experienced and cared for.

What happens when a city turns back towards the water? And what do we lose when public space becomes too controlled, too polished or too predictable? With Vivian, I talk about Thessaloniki’s rediscovered waterfront, hidden water beneath Athens and why a little friction and chaos might actually be good for urban life.

We also get into the bigger questions: climate change, privatisation, democracy and the pressure on the people trying to change cities. Because placemaking is not only about transforming places. It is also about how we relate to them, to each other and to ourselves.

In this episode:
• Why placemaking is about more than attractive public spaces
• How cities can reconnect people with water and nature
• Why friction and messiness are part of healthy urban life
• How public space supports participation and democracy
• Why placemakers also need places of care