Polis

The European Prize for Urban Public Space aims to recognize and make known successful examples of different applications of the democratic conception of the city. Over its history, the Prize – which is organized by the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB) together with six other European institutions – has amassed almost 1,300 projects from more than 600 European cities. Ranging from Glasgow to Istanbul, and from Lisbon to Bucharest, it has become an observatory with privileged perspectives on problems and solutions of the most diverse size and nature. The 35 winning works of the first seven editions of the Prize constitute a gauge of the democratic quality of Europe’s urban and social fabrics. It is hoped that the fruits of this harvest will prompt reflection that can be shared with cities all around the world.

The examples have been grouped here under seven headings: periphery, complexity, voids, water, mobility, memory and democracy. The ways in which these issues are addressed have emerged as empirically-learned lessons. In any case, they all confirm the social and political dimension that permeates the city and that is so well reflected in the Greek term polis. This is why it is so important to claim and defend the democratic quality of our cities. After all, as we shape cities, cities shape us.