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European Placemaking Week 2025 - Reggio Emilia



In September 2025, Placemaking Week Europe took place in Reggio Emilia, Italy : one of the most important European gatherings on urban regeneration, community building, and public space. For four days, from September 23rd to 26th, more than seven hundred participants gathered: urban innovators, policymakers, artists, researchers, and residents. Together, they explored how cities can be designed more inclusively, humanely, and sustainably. The event, organized by the Placemaking Europe network, offered an inspiring mix of lectures, workshops, walks, local interventions, and co-creation projects, all aimed at strengthening the social resilience of cities.


The Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) was also present in Reggio Emilia. Drawing on its years of experience with street art as a means of social connection and education, SAMA shared its vision on how art can transform public spaces into places of dialogue and engagement. During various sessions and meetings, SAMA shared practical examples from Amsterdam-West, such as community murals and participatory art projects that bring together science, art, and local residents. This exchange provided a valuable platform to demonstrate how creativity can have not only aesthetic but also social impact.


Placemaking Week was more than just a conference: it was a living, open learning environment. In Reggio Emilia itself, numerous "city labs" and field visits took place, where participants collaborated with local residents on concrete challenges: from redesigning squares to greening streets and strengthening social networks. For SAMA, this presented an opportunity to gain inspiration from colleagues across Europe and forge new connections between art, science, and urban participation. The experiences from Reggio Emilia will contribute to future projects, in which SAMA continues to demonstrate that street art connects not just walls, but also communities.


Reggio Emilia

The choice of Reggio Emilia as a city was anything but coincidental. This dynamic city in Northern Italy is known as a crossroads of history, innovation, and inclusivity, with a strong tradition of civic participation and social engagement. Reggio Emilia enjoys global recognition for its "Reggio Emilia Approach": an innovative educational method that emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, and in which the city itself serves as a learning environment. The historic hexagonal urban structure reflects a careful balance between heritage and modern urban development. Furthermore, Reggio Emilia invests in sustainable mobility, inclusive public spaces, and participatory decision-making, making it a living laboratory for urban transformation. This is precisely why it provided the ideal setting for Placemaking Week Europe 2025: a place where the theory of placemaking is put into practice daily.



Encounters that have stayed with us

Besides the inspiring sessions and workshops, EPW was primarily about connecting with others. A vibrant network of people committed to making cities more human, creative, and inclusive. Street Art Museum Amsterdam connected with visionaries from around the world, each with a unique perspective on urban change:



Each encounter reminded us that placemaking is, at its core, about people: the stories, relationships, and collaborations that transform places into communities.


Walls that talk

During Placemaking Week Europe, Street Art Museum Amsterdam presented the session "Walls That Talk." It was an invitation not just to talk about placemaking, but to experience it in person. The presentation highlighted how street art can function as a tool for inclusion, community dialogue, and urban transformation.


During the presentation, we took the audience on a journey through the evolution of street art: from underground culture to a powerful tool for making silent stories visible in public spaces. The STAR 2.0 toolkit was central to this process: a tool developed by SAMA and European partners to bring together young people, local residents, and policymakers through art and participatory design.



Besides inspiring examples from the Netherlands and other European countries, we also shared honest lessons learned about challenges such as bureaucracy, weather conditions, and public perception. This openness made it clear that placemaking is a process of learning, adapting, and daring to try again.


The session concluded with an interactive workshop in which participants created their own "tag"—a word, dream, or message for the city—and displayed it on a wall. Everyone took a piece of this wall home with them: a symbolic reminder that every voice counts, and that inclusive cities are built through collaboration, creativity, and courage.


Podcast

During Placemaking Week Europe 2025 in Reggio Emilia, Anna Stolyarova, representing the Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA), was a guest on the Urbanistica Podcast (episode "Walls Talk (Street Art)" ). In the conversation, Anna discussed the power of street art as a means of connecting people and places. She shared inspiring stories about how SAMA collaborates with residents, young people, and artists to create murals that not only beautify walls but also spark conversation. According to Anna, art in public spaces isn't about decoration, but about encounters and engagement. And about the feeling that everyone is part of the story told on the walls. If you'd like to listen to the podcast again, you can do so via this link: 550. Walls Talk (Street Art) - Anna Stolyarova - Urbanistica Podcast - Cities for People | Listen Notes



A successful trip

Placemaking Week Europe 2025 was an inspiring experience for SAMA, full of new ideas and encounters. In addition to the podcast interview, SAMA gave a presentation on how street art can contribute to awareness and connection in the city. We spoke with many interesting colleagues from around the world: from artists and researchers to neighborhood developers and policy thinkers. All share the same passion for livable, inclusive cities. And of course, we couldn't leave Reggio Emilia without tasting the famous Parmigiano Reggiano. Just like good cheese, placemaking requires time, attention, and collaboration to truly mature into something beautiful.

 
 
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