For this year’s Rotterdam Architecture Month, we would like to explore how public spaces are being reclaimed to meet the needs of diverse communities. While the value of green spaces—for community well-being, climate resilience, and urban vitality—is widely recognized, cities often struggle to adapt quickly enough through official channels.
As Urbanistas Rotterdam, we want to shift the focus to grassroots initiatives: direct action, a radical focus on biodiversity, community-led projects, and the pioneers already reimagining our urban landscapes. We aim to get inspired, learn, and become empowered to support other bold initiatives—and, above all, to understand the dynamics and bottlenecks of public space driven by private initiatives.
Following last year’s Architecture Month event with Studio Inscape—which centered on inclusive green spaces for women—we now seek to broaden the conversation. This year, we’re extending inclusivity beyond gender to embrace all living species (from insects in and above ground, specific communities with specific needs) sharing our urban environments.
We’ll visit two to three locations in Rotterdam South starting from Sharida’s garden in Energiehuis (Reyeroord) up to the Groene Golf initiative in Feyenoord (preferably cycling, but using public transport is also an option) We will close the event with lunch (provided by us) combined with a debate on the value of these initiatives, funding possibilities, challenges, emerging conflicts, and strategies for collaboration or solidarity. Let’s not only reimagine inclusive public spaces—let’s learn how to create them and feel empowered to lead our own initiatives. Exact stops on the excursion are to be defined, please keep checking our website for full programme.
