A decade of achievements for the Global Public Space Programme

Nairobi, 28 November 2022 -- Launched in 2012, UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme (GPSP) supports cities to take actions for safe, inclusive, and accessible public space for all.

 As a Programme, it promotes the crucial role of green and quality public spaces in cities, acting as an enabler for social justice, prosperity, and environmental change. Streets, sidewalks and cycling lanes, squares, parks and waterfronts, gardens and community courtyards, are all part of what are defined as public space.

 “Public space is crucial for sustainable cities and communities: providing ecosystem services, improving health and wellbeing, ensuring social inclusion and economic exchange. It offers an opportunity to enrich the quality of life of all urban dwellers, leaving no one behind. UN-Habitat’s research shows that well-functioning cities have around 50% of the surface area dedicated to public space. Unfortunately, few cities around the world meet this target. Lack of quality public spaces reduces urban quality of life, increasing crime, social tensions, health and congestion.” Jose Chong, Leader of Global Public Space Programme .

So far, GPSP has completed 137 public space upgrading projects in 90 different cities, impacting the life of some 2.3 million people. The public spaces which were implemented have improved the well- being and health of the communities, while boosting social interaction and livelihoods. Building upon the renewed interest of countries and cities, it is believed that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a new urgency and momentum for cities to redefine their agendas and develop a new strategic framework which puts public space as a key driver of change.

  Timeline of the Global Public Space Programme

• 2011 UN-Habitat’s Governing Council gave the Programme a clear opportunity and direction through Resolution 23/4 to consolidate our agency-wide work on public space.
• 2011 Start of the development by the Charter of Public Space by Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica, in Italy
• 2012 Resources from Mojang and Ax:son Johnson Foundation to develop academic as well as innovative approaches to public space
• 2012 Launch of the Global Public Space Programme at UN-Habitat
• 2013 Charter of Public Space developed at the Biennial of Public Space
• 2013 The Future of Places (FoP I, Stockholm, June)
• 2014 EGM on Public Space convened by INU (Rome, January)
• 2014 Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity (FoP II, Buenos Aires, September)
• 2015 Launch of Global Public Space Toolkit
• 2015 Public Space in the New Urban Agenda (FoP III, Stockholm, June)
• 2015 2030 Agenda – public space SDG target 11.7
• 2016 Habitat III – public space in the New Urban Agenda
• 2017 The academic Centre of the Future of Places is launched at KTH University in Stockholm
• 2018 Inspired the AfriCities in Rabat
• 2020 Founding of first regional centre - Africa Centre for Public Space
• 2022 10 years of the UN-Habitat Global Public Space Programme

 The success of UN-Habitat’s public space programme is anchored in the wide network of local government, civil society, academia and private sector partners – now numbering more than 100. Public space regeneration projects are usually completed in collaboration with the local government and the civil society partners. Through placemaking networks, UN-Habitat engages with and supports communities to take action towards reclaiming and transforming their public spaces. Since 2016, GPSP has organised regular meetings of the UN Public Space Network to encourage other UN agencies to act on public space as a way of achieving sustainable development.

 Find below two case examples from GPSP past and new networks to institutionalise the global public space agenda:

Future of Places: The Future of Places forum was a collaborative platform for research, implementation, networking and advocacy, centred on key issues of public space as a fundamental component of sustainable urban development. The overall purpose of the platform was to leverage the importance of public space and placemaking in city planning at Habitat III Conference (2016) and Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. The means were three international conferences (2013, 2014 and 2015), national seminars, books and reports and an exhibition at Habitat III. More information here: http://futureofplaces.com/

Centre of African Public Spaces: Working jointly as partners and a range of networks and specialised thematic content experts, the Centre on African Public Spaces is a home and a resource to a community of urban practitioners, thinkers, civil society activists, community groups, students and scholars dedicated to connect, exchange experiences, advance knowledge, share resources, grow expertise and mobilise on a wide range of relevant local, regional and global issues. More information here: https://www.africanpublicspaces.org/

  Finally, GPSP is inviting the global public space network to an online event 8 December 2022 (3 - 4:30 pm EAT) to discuss the role and place of public space in the next decade. The session will focus on how innovative approaches to public space are implemented among UN-Habitat country offices, regional offices, the wider UN agencies and multi-stakeholders that form the global public space network of partners.

 The session will first present the GPSP programme’s 10 years report and the new interactive digital dashboard. After, various colleagues from the public space network will share their experiences from implementing public space approaches and projects. This will be followed by a discussion highlighting the place of public space in this new decade of action.