Culture-Powered Public Spaces for Inclusivity, Growth and Resilience
November 7, 2024 | 17:00 - 18:30
Streaming on UN WEB TV
Summary
SDG 11, with target 11.4, serves as a strategic entry point for culture within the 2030 Agenda. This goal recognizes public spaces as essential components in addressing the three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic, and environmental. As part of the review of SDG 11, UNESCO has made significant progress in documenting culture’s multifaceted impact on shaping innovative, people-centred and place-based urban development strategies. Cities have progressively harnessed the culture capital to enhance social inclusion, as well as restore the civil role of public spaces, including in post-conflict and post-natural disaster contexts. Inclusivity, open access, and diverse use of public spaces are fundamental for fostering community cohesion and appreciation of cultural diversity. From heritage preservation to showcasing contemporary cultural expressions, public spaces offer cultural assets that cater to a diverse urban population, including vulnerable groups and minorities.
The recognition of culture as a driver of diversified economies and job creation has further fuelled engagement towards inclusive public spaces. Cultural tourism notably contributes substantially to community-led initiatives in public spaces, fostering inclusive and place-based patterns. Public spaces are equally vital areas where culture can not only foster social cohesion, but also help advance the exercise of cultural rights. They offer places for communities to access and practice culture, and where cultural diversity can be acknowledged, celebrated and made visible, thus fostering respect and exercise of cultural rights. However, challenges such as barriers to inclusive access, rapid urbanization, conflicts over usage, and privatization threaten the inclusivity and sustainability of public spaces. Culture with its undisputed impact on various facets of urban quality of life is intricately woven into the enhancement of inclusive public spaces and of their equitable access and resilience. Given the intertwined nature of social, environmental, spatial, and economic dimensions of culture, a holistic approach to public spaces planning should be strengthened, along with collaborative governance and community-driven initiatives.
This side event will explore ways in which cities leverage their diverse cultural assets, embracing a wide range of expressions from design for eco-friendly patterns and urban regeneration, creative mobility to cultural events, festivals and fairs and display of artwork. Culture is intrinsically embedded into the urban fabric, adapting to various social, economic and educational uses. Public spaces notably serve as creative platforms, notably for artists to express their creativity and raise awareness about societal issues. Culture-embedded public spaces provide multiple opportunities for everyone to utilize them, engage in decision-making processes, and share in their benefits.
Objectives
• Encourage sharing of knowledge and innovative pathways on culture and community-driven public spaces across all dimensions of culture, heritage and creativity;
• Foster a multistakeholder dialogue across UN agencies, development banks and civil society actors to support integrated and collaborative approaches to public spaces design and planning, guided by UNESCO normative instruments such as the 2011 Recommendation on the historic urban landscape, the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, as well as UNESCO Cities programmes (Creative Cities, World Heritage Cities); and
• Identify prospects to address challenges in integrating culture’s multifaceted impact within public spaces, including the issues of financing, impact assessment and sustainability.