Maastricht Debates and the Municipality of Maastricht present:

Urban connections

A free and public debate on regional urban cooperation

October 6, 2010

How do we design and manage attractive urban settings which stimulate an active and engaged citizenship?

There are many ways to conceive an urban region that is able to counter trends of ageing and depopulation, that is seen as a hub of cultural innovation and that cherishes diversity and economic prosperity. This involves conscious as well as unconscious choices about the way emerging infrastructures are to be used, and by whom.

What would a city, neighbourhood, region look like if it relied on the active participation of its citizens rather than on urban planners’ assumptions?

Can experiences from other places in the world inspire us? How do participatory initiatives work in practise and how successful are they? In other words: who owns the city?

Speakers:

Jan Mans, Mayor of Maastricht

Abha Joshi Ghani, Manager for the World Bank's Urban Development Unit

Felix Mandrazo, Founder of Supersudaca, network of Latin-American architects and urban planners

Greame Evans, Professor Culture and Urban Development, Maastricht University

Wim van den Bergh, Architect and Professor at RWTH Aachen University.

Programme:

19:00 registration & coffee

22:00 closure

Venue: Maastricht City Hall, Market square

Free entrance, registration required. In order to register click here

Organised in the framework of Maastricht International Week and Maastricht Debates’ series on urban development in a globalised world.