When people enjoy spending time in public spaces, both cities and villages benefit. Community life and relationships improve, individuals’ mental health is enhanced, and local businesses profit. The key lies in the appearance and composition of these spaces. You can hear inspiring stories of public space transformations from Europe and Slovakia at the “Stories of Placemaking” event on June 21 in Trenčín. Entry is free.
By shaping public spaces, we also transform life in the city. Unused areas suddenly come to life. People who might not have met otherwise gather. On streets where we feel comfortable, we prefer walking over using cars. This helps reduce the number of cars and traffic jams.
Various cities worldwide are transforming unused concrete areas or uninviting streets into pleasant places for walking, culture, socializing, or sports. This urban trend is called placemaking. It involves creating welcoming spaces to which people form attachments, rather than anonymous urban areas.
What can placemaking include? “It encompasses projects that place art installations in public spaces, create areas for greenery, add seating and places to stay, build squares and community spaces, enliven public areas with concerts, festivals, and markets, or temporarily open streets for people, like Korzo Palackého. The goal is to transform spaces we just pass through daily into community meeting places that enhance the quality of life in urban neighborhoods,” explains Lívia Gažová, project manager for architecture and public spaces at the Trenčín 2026 team.
Many cities have embraced placemaking, and their efforts are met with positive public response. The city of Trenčín and Trenčín 2026 have joined the international network Cities in Placemaking, where they learn about placemaking in excellent company with other cities like Helsinki, Rotterdam, Wroclaw, Cork, and The Hague.
Trenčín as a Placemaking Hub
Cities in Placemaking network meetings are held every three months in different cities. In the third week of June, we will welcome placemaking experts from European cities to Trenčín. The highlight of the meeting will be the public event “Stories of Placemaking” on June 21 from 17:00 at Hotel Elizabeth in Trenčín. European and Slovak experts will share their experiences in transforming public spaces and show how urban environments can be lively, friendly, and sustainable.
The event is intended for anyone interested in urban issues, including professionals, local government officials, architects, urban planners, and designers. “Stories of Placemaking” is public, free of charge, and will be conducted in English with simultaneous translation into Slovak. More information about the event can be found at www.trencin2026.eu/en/placemaking.
