Shaping Resilience: What Can Art and Culture Do for Our Cities?

How can art and culture in public space contribute to societal resilience? This question brought together more than 35 participants from across Europe for the first online meeting of the joint Liveable Cities, NEBHUB 2050 and Future Cities Community.

We welcomed urban planner and cultural strategist Trevor Davies, founder of METROPOLIS/KIT in Copenhagen, who shared insights from decades of working at the intersection of culture, public space and urban development.
A key message was that public space is not only about physical places, but also about relationships. Encounters can create connections between people and places, strengthen communities and contribute to resilience. Cultural planning can support this by putting local identity, creativity and community knowledge at the heart of urban development.
Trevor also challenged us to think beyond the city as an isolated urban landscape and towards an ecopolis, recognising the connections between urban areas, wider landscapes and ecological transformation.

The discussion also highlighted the different ways artistic practice can contribute to resilience, from strengthening community cohesion and wellbeing to responding to crises, challenging injustice and supporting systemic change. At the same time, this requires the cultural sector itself to have the resources, freedom and long-term support needed to take on these roles.

The conversation left us with an important question for Future Cities: What would it mean to see culture not as an additional activity in urban development, but as part of the infrastructure that enables resilient communities and places?

Programme Manual Online

Choose