Lessons from Placemaking Week Europe 2024

I am thrilled to share that I have received a grant to attend the Placemaking Europe 2024, which took place from 24 to 27 September in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

This provided invaluable insights for my PhD thesis on developing a Dynamic Decision Support System for environmental comfort.

The event's diverse panels and workshops offered fresh perspectives that will significantly enhance my research on creating a holistic framework for assessing and improving environmental comfort in urban spaces.

In the "A Critter's Guide to the City" workshop, I learned about the importance of considering non-human species in urban design. This perspective aligns with my thesis by emphasizing the need to create inclusive environments that cater to all living beings, not just humans. The workshop's focus on shifting perspectives and attuning to the more-than-human world reinforced the idea that environmental comfort extends beyond human-centric metrics.

The panel on "Empowering Communities for Climate Resilience and Green Cities" highlighted the significance of bottom-up approaches and community participation in achieving environmental goals. This aligns with my research on incorporating public perception into environmental comfort assessments. The discussion on using technology like IoT, AI, and big data analytics in urban planning provided insights into potential tools for my Dynamic Decision Support System.

The "Imagine the city of Happy Proximity" workshop introduced the concept of mapping personal weekly activities based on distance, transportation mode, and frequency. This approach could be valuable for my thesis in understanding how spatial components and urban functionality impact environmental comfort and social perception.

In the "Create Together Communities Through Greener Spaces & Gardens in Cities" workshop, I gained insights into improving the quality of life in neighborhoods through greening initiatives. This directly relates to my focus on the relationship between air quality and spatial components. The workshop's emphasis on community engagement and stakeholder collaboration reinforced the importance of incorporating public perception in environmental comfort assessments.

The panel on "Co-Designing Climate-Resilient & Inclusive Neighbourhoods" provided valuable information on engaging citizens in redesigning their neighborhoods for improved health and climate resilience. This aligns with my thesis's aim to develop a decision support system that considers public perception and spatial components. The discussion on reconnecting cities with nature and improving health and wellbeing through urban design offers potential strategies for enhancing environmental comfort.

"The Placemaking Game" workshop offered a practical approach to kickstarting placemaking projects, which could be adapted to my research methodology for engaging communities in environmental comfort assessments. The game's focus on translating individual dreams into collective visions aligns with my goal of incorporating public perception into the decision support system.

The "Bridges to be Built & The Empathic Debate Club" panel emphasized the importance of trust, empathy, and collaboration in creating inclusive and resilient communities. This perspective is crucial for my thesis, as it highlights the need for a holistic approach to environmental comfort that considers social and emotional factors alongside physical measurements.

The "Empowering Urban Change Through Community-Driven Storytelling" workshop provided insights into using storytelling as a tool for citizen engagement and project communication. This approach could be valuable for my research in capturing and incorporating public perceptions of environmental comfort into the decision support system.

Lastly, the "Climate Adaptive Cities" and "Global Kerbside" sessions offered practical strategies for integrating green spaces into urban environments and reimagining roadspace. These concepts are directly applicable to my thesis, as they demonstrate how spatial components and urban design can influence air quality and overall environmental comfort.

In conclusion, thanks Placemaking Week Europe 2024 which provided a wealth of knowledge and innovative approaches that will significantly enhance my PhD research. Also I am thankful of my supervisors Prof. Myriam Lopes and Dr. Helder Relvas to give me this chance to have an innovative journey throughout the concept of environmental comfort.

Thanks to all speakers of the panels and workshops:

Ramon Marrades Kitti Butter Sebastian Gschanes Eleni Oikonomaki Giulia Sicignano Johanna Musch Chiara Martinuzzi Seunghoon HAN Diego Sánchez Navarro Hugo Mesquita ? Dr Saira Ali FLI Nicolas Levrel Dimitra Zouni Dr. ?zlem B. Stephanie Patterson Aurora Dias Lokita Bas Sala Gregorio Lucena Scarpella Mustafa Sherif Nuria Ribas Costa Giselle Sebag, MPH, LEED AP ND Guillermo Bernal Charles Landry Mathilde Riou Samir Amin Alice Jelmini P?ivi Raivio Khadidja Salamah Konate Marta Popio?ek Rosaria Battista Minouche Besters Ethan Kent Graham Pointer Robin Abad Ocubillo