About

(Re)making the City is a part of the wider framework of the URBACT Knowledge Hub, an initiative to spread and mainstream know-how in terms of the design and implementation of sustainable urban policies. The main goal is to develop a common understanding, to enable efficient multi-level governance and to provide city practitioners access to good practices and policy recommendations.

Building upon prior knowledge from URBACT Action Planning networks, the (Re)making the City online tool was created in order to promote and disseminate innovative planning approaches towards the rehabilitation of underused spaces. Such problem is faced by different European cities, but also from urban areas from all over the world.

By breaking down the causes of urban underuse and vacancy, five main challenges stood out:

• abandoned and derelict structures that have fallen out of use for more than two years
• areas that contain a large proportion of vacant buildings and inefficient land use
• segregated areas partially in ruins, with low living conditions, due to different reasons
• monofunctional areas that lack any kind of mix, in terms of use and urban typology
• structures that are condemned thanks to environmental and unsustainable issues

A wide range of key stories were selected to showcase innovative (and not so costly!) solutions to those specific challenges, at different stages. Our database of good practice stories is ever growing, so feel free to contact us and contribute. Tell us more about the project you have been involved and have your own story displayed in (Re)making the City.