I have actively participated in key United Nations summits, such as the Habitat III conference (Quito, 2016), the World Urban Forum (Kuala Lumpur, 2018; Abu Dhabi, 2020; Katowice, 2022; Cairo, 2024), the first UN-Habitat Assembly (Nairobi, 2019) and two High Level Meetings at the UN Headquarters in New York City (2017, 2022). I was also an invited participant and speaker in several Expert Group Meetings (EGM) and training events on public space promoted by UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme, in particular:
– ‘From Site to System: City-wide Public Space Strategies’, EGM organized by the Ax:son Johnson Foundation (Sweden, 2018);
– ‘Cities for all: ageing and inclusiveness’, EGM organized by the Basque Country Government (Spain, 2020), within the framework of Euskal Hiria 2020. I was invited among a different national and international experts and institutional representatives to discuss good practices, projects and urban policies focused on improving the living conditions of the elderly in cities, and shared a set of projects identified as good practices around four key aspects: housing, mobility, public space and health care. Watch a summary here or read the news on UN-Habitat website here;
– ‘Towards a Public Space Strategy, training event organized by UCLG ASPAC United Cities Local Governments Asia Pacific at the 9th World Urban Forum (Kuala Lumpur, 2018).
With my non-profit organisation City Space Architecture, that I founded in 2013, at the 9th World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur (2018) I curated the exhibition ‘We the People, We the Public Space‘; at the 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi (2020) I curated the exhibition ‘Public Space is Vital for an Equitable Urban Future‘, in collaboration with 16 global institutions; at the 11th World Urban Forum in Katowice (2022) I curated the exhibition Public Spaces for All. For a Just, Resilient and Flourishing Urban Future, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UN-Habitat Global Public Space Programme (watch the video of the celebration which also includes my contribution); at the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo (2024) I curated the exhibition “Planning values in cities with adequate homes and public spaces for all” developed in collaboration with The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), the Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC), and the American Planning Association (APA). Under my leadership, City Space Architecture became a partner of UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and was engaged in the General Assembly of Partners (GAP), Research and Academia Partner Constituent Group.
I have also contributed to UN-Habitat’s publications, such as:
– “City-wide Public Space Strategies. A Guidebook for City Leaders” (2020)
– “City-wide Public Space Strategies. A Compendium of Inspiring Practices” (2019)
At the 11th World Urban Forum in Katowice (2022), I launched the Public Space Academy, during a training event. The Academy is the first, free, educational program entirely dedicated to public space, that I have established through my non-profit organization City Space Architecture, in partnership with the Ove Arup Foundation and with the generous support of UN-Habitat. Read the the news on City Space Architecture website here.
The Public Space Academy has been included in the Urban Agenda Platform – the global knowledge portal managed by UN-Habitat to gather up-to-date information, training, and data to support New Urban Agenda implementation by Member States and stakeholders, and to report on their progress – as a relevant endeavour for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and of the Agenda 2030 with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Read my profile on the website of the World Urban Forum.
Stand Up for Public Space!
My lecture “Stand Up for Public Space!” was recorded for the UN-Habitat Global Urban Lectures, an initiative gathering expertise from renowned international scholars and professionals who excel in their fields. The Global Urban Lecture series is an initiative by UNI – UN-Habitat’s partnership with universities worldwide.
«Stand Up for Public Space!» is also a global campaign to promote awareness on the importance of public space in cities. It was launched during a networking event at the Habitat III conference in Quito (2016) that I organized and coordinated. Read the report of the networking event on The Journal of Public Space.
Join the campaign! #standupforpublicspace
General Assembly of the United Nations
United Nations headquarters, New York City, 2022
I was an accredited participant at the ‘High Level Meeting on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda’, that took place at the UN Headquarters in New York City on 28 April 2022. I was previously engaged in another High Level Meeting, that took place at the UN Headquarters in New York City on 5-6 September 2017, I was selected and invited to attend by a Committee appointed by UN NGLS Non-Governamental Liason Services.
The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, the only one in which all Member States have equal representation: one nation, one vote. All 193 Member States of the United Nations are represented in this unique forum to discuss and work together on a wide array of international issues covered by the UN Charter.
My takeaways from the High Level Meeting:
We are experiencing unprecedented crises and challenges, at the social, environmental and political levels, with increasing inequalities, raise of poverty, conflicts, migrations and marginalization of most vulnerable individuals and communities with insufficient or inadequate housing solutions. Cities are at the core of the actions towards resilience and urban sustainability, to improve the quality of life of urban and rural residents, leaving no one and no place behind.
The quadrennial report of the Secretary General of the United Nations highlights the centrality of the right to adequate housing, including access to land, publics pace and public services. Public spaces contribute directly to local development, social cohesion, climate mitigation and economic recovery. The pandemic has underlined the role of public space in public health and, in response, many cities have developed temporary solutions that have translated into longer-term action on mixed-use neighborhoods, alternative mobility and urban regeneration (notably Barcelona, Milan, Nairobi, New York and Paris).
Considerable progress has been made since 2018 on public space reclamation, greening and inclusive use, including through gender-sensitive design. Design and management of public spaces have become more participatory and the legally required urban green area per capita has increased in many countries.
Launch of a special issue of The Journal of Public Space
11th World Urban Forum, Katowice, 2022
I have launched the special issue of The Journal of Public Space “Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All” developed in collaboration with World Blind Union at the 11th World Urban in Katowice (2022), during an event at the UN Press Conference Centre, with Hannes J. Lagrelius (World Blind Union) and Elizabeth Ombati (Africa Disability Forum).
At the 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi (2020) the World Blind Union and City Space Architecture committed to develop, publish, and launch such an issue at the 11th World Urban Forum in Katowice (Poland, 2022). This was captured in the Abu Dhabi Declared Actions. The aim of the special issue is to support sharing of learnings, evidence-based practices, innovative solutions, and measures taken by cities and practitioners to ensure inclusive and accessible public spaces for all and support implementation of the New Urban Agenda in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and other human rights instruments and core development and humanitarian frameworks.
The Journal of Public Space, Vol 7, n 2 (2022)
Special issue: Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All
Editors: Hannes J. Lagrelius and Luisa Bravo
Guest Editor: Victor S. Pineda
developed in collaboration with World Blind Union
World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments
New York City, 2022
I was one of the speakers at the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, for the side event ‘The Right to the City as an accelerator for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda’ with Nelson Saule Jr. (Global Platform for the Right to the City), Yousef Shawarbeh (Mayor of Amman) and Michael Cohen (The New School). The event was promoted by the Global Platform for the Right to the City ad HIC – Habitat international Coalition in the framework of the UN High Level Meeting, 27 April 2022. Read the full program of the event here.
The event was the opportunity to launch the thematic paper “Cities and Human Settlements with Quality Public Spaces”, that I wrote for the Global Platform for the Right to the City.
Bravo, L. (2022) “Cities and Human Settlements with Quality Public Spaces”, Global Platform for the Right to the City, Brazil.
UN-Habitat Assembly
UN-Habitat headquarters, Nairobi, 2019
I was an invited participant at the first UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, as a speaker for a side event at the City Stage, with an invitation letter signed by UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, 27-31 May 2019. The invitation included also the participation to the first Global Stakeholders Forum and the Business Leaders Dialogue.
The special theme for the Assembly was “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”, with sub theme “Accelerated implementation of the New Urban Agenda towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals”.
During the event I officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding between my non-profit organization City Space Architecture and UN-Habitat, represented by Laura Petrella (Leader, City Planning Extension and Design Unit), for the cooperation in developing The Journal of Public Space.
Read the news on the website of City Space Architecture here.
9th World Urban Forum
Kuala Lumpur, 2018
I was invited to join as a speaker the side event promoted by IHC Global at Next City World Stage, with Judith Hermanson (President and CEO, IHC Global), Tom Dallessio (President, CEO, and Publisher, Next City), Catherine Pugh (Mayor of Baltimore – via video message) and Ahmed Eiweida (Lead Urban Specialist, The World Bank). As reported by Next City, “it is difficult to ask all social groups to be part of the same discussion,” said Bravo. “You must first build trust, and only then can you ask for cooperation. But building trust is an overwhelming, exhausting activity that many cities are simply not interested in.”
At the 9th World Urban Forum I organized and curated the exhibition “We the People, We the Public Space” and joined as a speaker several events, promoted by global stakeholders. Read the news on City Space Architecture website here.