Public spaces are supposed to be for all to use. Therefore, everyone should have the opportunity to contribute to discussions on the development of these spaces. It is precisely for this reason that the City of Luxembourg, through its Service Espace public, fêtes et marches (Department of Public Spaces, Festivals and Markets Department), carries out public consultations before, or possibly during, and after redevelopment works. Thus, anyone with an interest in the outcome of a (re)development project (local residents, users, stakeholders, etc.) can, as part of a placemaking scheme, contribute to the design of their space by putting forward their ideas and suggestions. The Service Espace public, fêtes et marches, in consultation with all other municipal departments and government partners, will then use their input to draw up a draft plan that will be presented, discussed and adapted, together, at civic engagement meetings before the adoption of the definitive plan.
The process of placemaking through civic engagement can be briefly summarised in the following five steps:
- a kick-off meeting to explain the approach and take note of residents' needs and expectations
- an initial workshop to discuss the observations and ideas put forward at the kick-off meeting
- a follow-up workshop to assess and flesh out the concepts developed in the initial workshop, with the aim of devising a global vision for the space in question
- a meeting to present the final project
- monitoring and oversight, during the work and after the project is completed
It goes without saying that, in view of the specific issues relating to each individual public space, every project will progress in a different way, and the above is merely an outline of the overall process.
