USER

Edited on 28/07/2025

01/05/2012 30/04/2015

Closed
  • Action Planning Network
  • Participative governance
  • Climate action
  • Disadvantaged neighbourhoods
  • Participation
  • Urban renewal

A core USER idea is that the design of urban public spaces and the main goals of urban planning are challenged by rapid changes in how cities are used. New trends in how public spaces are used, what the new users’ needs are, increasing malfunctions and conflicts among uses, etc., are challenging the way the city is usually “produced”, designed and managed.

Summary

Timeline

Project launch
Project completed

Partners

Lead Partner : Grenoble - France
  • Copenhagen - Denmark
  • Dresden - Germany
  • Krakow - Poland
  • Lisbon - Portugal
  • Lublin - Poland
  • Málaga - Spain
  • Pescara - Italy
  • Riga - Latvia

Introduction

Changes and conflicts in using public spaces

 

A core USER idea is that the design of urban public spaces and the main goals of urban planning are challenged by rapid changes in how cities are used. New trends in how public spaces are used, what the new users’ needs are, increasing malfunctions and conflicts among uses, etc., are challenging the way the city is usually “produced”, designed and managed. This approach entails a process of users involvement as a crucial dimension of public spaces planning and management. Indeed “users experience” is one of the main inputs to understand how the spaces are used and what kind of conflicts are taking place. The USER project will work on the three main aspects that, according to us, constitute a "good public space":

 

a) Friendlier and more interactive social-public spaces by solving malfunctions and conflicting uses,

 

b) Safer public spaces in a friendlier city

 

c) Cleaner, better-maintained and upgraded public spaces for a more efficient city.

 

Articles

  • A conversation on energy poverty, knowledge transfer, governance and the role of cities in Europe

    Contacted by Maximiliano Schulz, intern at the German URBACT Point, EmPowerIngUs Coordinator Fernando Gonzalez Ferreira and Ad Hoc Expert Chiara Lucchini had the chance to dialogue and reflect about

  • THE COM’ON CHRONICLE (Issue #1: November 2025 – August 2026)

    Understanding before translating: How five European cities want to improve and rebuild their youth participatory budgeting (YPB) based on the Com’ON Cluj good practice

  • Articles

    Grüne Transformation in der Praxis: 47 URBACT-Städte zeigen, wie es geht

    Von der Revitalisierung brachliegender Flächen über die Transformation von Industriestandorten bis zur Kreislaufwirtschaft: Fünf URBACT-Netzwerke zeigen, wie Städte die Ökologisierung ihrer