Placemaking and (Digital) Storytelling

Abstract

Placemaking is not only connected to a physical space; it can also be virtual. In this session we looked at how stories, digital or otherwise, are connecting people and enhancing their wellbeing. The examples presented showed how storytelling could create a sense of belonging and how the digital world adds value to that experience. Placemaking is about people, about living together, about a sense of belonging and carving spaces together, about co-creation and sharing stories. And it is crucial for society, especially now as it enters a new dimension in times of a global pandemic that affects us all. What will placemaking look like after COVID-19? What did we learn and what can we take with us to the future? How will we socialise, move from one place to another, (inter)act with and in public spaces after the pandemic? These questions guided a series of four online sessions which were held between the 7th and 30th of April (2020), connecting placemaking with the future of cities, tourism, the arts, urban design and digital storytelling. Experts and other interested persons were brought together across borders to discuss possible ways forward by learning from good practices. The response was overwhelming, both from the speakers that were contacted to take part, and from the diverse participants eager to share and exchange ideas. The concepts behind placemaking are not new and date back to the 60s when writers and urbanists like Jane Jacobs , William Whyte and Kevin A. Lynch offered new ideas on urban design catering for residents