Cities as Community Spaces is the third in the Valletta 2018 Foundation’s series of annual international conferences on cultural relations in Europe and the Mediterranean. This conference aims to explore the interplay between physical/virtual space and its use by the different communities within a city.

More and more people and communities around the world are beginning to recognize the power of community spaces in transforming cities and the everyday lives of their residents. Great spaces attract people. People interacting with one another build stronger, healthier communities. But how are great spaces discovered, created or contested?

This annual event brings together researchers, cultural practitioners and policy makers to share knowledge about the social dynamics through which space (public, private and virtual) serves as a site of discourse, contestation and critical reflection within and between communities.

During the three days of plenary and parallel sessions, conference participants will explore a variety of community spaces within Valletta, including the King’s Own Band Club and the crypt of the Church of St. Augustine. A tour of Valletta, cultural networking activities and two dinners will complement this exciting event.

Conference speakers include Shawn Micallef, author, editor, urban columnist and lecturer on civic citizenship and design at the University of Toronto; Paolo Gerbaudo, political and cultural sociologist at King’s College London and Christian Dimmer, co-founder Open Architecture Collaborative Tokyo Chapter.

Interested participants should register on the Conference official website.

The Cities as Community Spaces Conference forms part of Valletta 2018’s Cultural Programme.