At the “Transforming Cities Through Inclusive Place Making” session, co-curated by Nadine Bitar – ISOCARP General rapporteur of the congress – and Carlo Castelli, CTA of the TARA programme in Riyadh, leading voices in urbanism, governance, and human-centred design came together around a central question: how can we promote “Placemaking as Infrastructure for Resilience and Liveability in Dynamic Cities” to re-frame urban public spaces as climate-resilient infrastructure, wellbeing catalysts, and shared places for community connection and co-creation. Through examples from dynamic cities, panellists have shown how placemaking, when taken seriously, is central to both resilience and quality of life.
At the heart of the discussion, Carlo Castelli, Chief Technical Advisor, TARA Riyadh – UNDP, reminded participants that cities truly thrive only when they are designed first and foremost for people and integrating nature, not just for infrastructure. An inclusive city, he stressed, is one shaped around belonging, comfort, safety, opportunity, and human connection.
Drawing on the fantastic experience and passion of the speakers, the panel showed how placemaking – if taken as critical infrastructure providing the complex, bottom-up transformation of public spaces into vibrant places of life – can serve as a powerful driver of social change and economic opportunities. Far from being a purely aesthetic exercise, placemaking is an evolving, human-centred process that turns streets, squares, and entire neighbourhoods into catalysts for new behaviors, renewed urban identities, innovation, and social cohesion.
The conversation also highlighted how this agenda aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which places quality of life, sustainability, and vibrant cities at the core of its ambition. Through TARA Riyadh – UNDP, the focus is on urban approaches best practices that:
• Encourage mixed uses and meaningful encounters between residents;
• Strengthen comfort and safety, especially for women, families, and young people;
• Create spaces that spark creativity, innovation, and civic participation;
• Contribute to cities that are more resilient to climate and socio-economic challenges.
Panellists emphasized the importance of co-creating spaces with local communities. A space can only be truly inclusive if it is shaped with the people who live it every day. Examples shared during the session showed that when residents are engaged in designing their neighbourhoods – through workshops, consultations, and pilot projects – public spaces become more vibrant, better maintained, and strongly owned by the community.
By bringing together global perspectives on urbanism, governance, and the culture of public space, this session reinforced the growing momentum for cities that are more human, more resilient, and more future-ready – fully in tune with Saudi Arabia’s expanding role on the global urban and environmental stage.
READ MORE: https://www.undp.org/saudi-arabia/press-releases/spaces-places-human-centred-urbanism-climate-resilient-futures
