The Journal of Public Space

The Journal of Public Space was established at the end of 2015 by City Space Architecture, a non-profit organisation based in Italy, in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology, Faculty of Creative Industries, School of Design, based in Australia.

Founding Editors 
Luisa Bravo, City Space Architecture, Italy
Mirko Guaralda, Queensland University of Technology, Australia (period of engagement: August 2015 - June 2018)

In 2016 our Founding Editor Luisa Bravo established a partnership with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The first issue was launched at Habitat III, the United Nations conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, in Quito (Ecuador, 17-20 October 2016), during a talk at the Urban Library.

In May 2018 our Founding Editor Dr Luisa Bravo became Editor in Chief.

In June 2018 the Queensland University of Technology decided to withdraw, so The Journal of Public Space moved from Australia to Italy.

Since October 2018, The Journal of Public Space is published by City Space Architecture, a non-profit organisation based in Bologna, and the ISSN is registered in Italy.  City Space Architecture is a partner of UN-Habitat.

In 2019 at the first UN-Habitat Assembly held in Nairobi our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo signed the Letter of Agreement for the cooperation of City Space Architecture (the publisher) with UN-Habitat for the development of The Journal of Public Space, during an event at the City Stage with Laura Petrella, Leader of the City Planning Extension and Design Unit at UN-Habitat. Read more here.

In 2019, The Journal of Public Space welcomed two academic partners, KTH Royal Institute of Technology Centre for the Future of Places, based in Stockholm, and RMIT University based in Melbourne (ongoing).

In 2020, The Journal of Public Space welcomed another academic partner, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Architecture, based in Hong Kong (ending on 31 December 2022).

In 2020, The Journal of Public Space's publisher City Space Architecture received a grant from the Robert Bosch Foundation who supported and helped expanding the mission of the journal. Read more here.

In 2022, The Journal of Public Space welcomed another academic partner, the University of the Sunshine Coast, based in Australia, with three key representatives from the Bachelor of Urban Design and Town Planning (ongoing).

 

EXHIBITIONS
The Journal of Public Space was displayed in City Space Architecture's exhibition space at the 9th World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur on 7-13 February 2018, as part of the exhibition 'We the people, We the public space' curated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo. Read more here.

CONFERENCES
The Journal of Public Space was presented at the international conference 'Past Present and Future of Public Space' promoted by City Space Architecture at the Venice Architecture Biennale  on 21-22-23 September 2018, attended by 100 scholars from more than 20 Universities. The event was curated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo. Read more here.

LAUNCH OF NEW ISSUES
The first issue, Vol. 1 n. 1 (2016), was launched at Habitat III, the United Nations conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, held in Quito (Ecuador) on 17-20 Ocotber 2016, during a talk at the Urban Library curated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo.

The second issue, Vol. 2 n. 1 (2017), was published on the occasion of  the 26^th UN-Habitat Governing Council held in Nairobi (Kenya), on 8-12 May 2017, under the theme "Opportunities for the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda" that our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo attended with an ad-hoc accreditation granted by the UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr Joan Clos.

The third issue, Vol. 2 n. 2 (2017), was published on the occasion of the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations held in in New York (USA), on 5-6 September 2017, that our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo attended as an accredited stakeholder selected by the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS).

The 4th issue, Vol. 2 n. 3 (2017), was published on the occasion of the 10th IFoU - International Forum on Urbanism conference 'The Entrepreneurial City', held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), on 14-16 Dcember 2017, where our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo was invited to give a keynote speech.

The 6th issue, Vol. 3 n. 1 (2018), was launched at RMIT University, School of Art in Melbourne, where our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo was invited to participate as a speaker with Adjunct Professor Maggie McCormick , a member of our Scientic Committee, and Prof. Daniel Palmer, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, the CAST (Contemporary Art and Social Transformation) OUT LOUD seminar 'Re-Imagining Cityscapes as Mindscapes: perspectives from Italy and Australia'.

The 7h issue 'Art and Activism in Public Space', Vol. 3 n. 2 (2018), was launched in Barcelona, as part of the SkypeLab Sympolab at RMIT Europe, on 21 November 2018 at 22@ Innovation District, with the editor of the issue our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo, the guest editor Dr Maggie McCormick, a member of our Scientific Board, and as guest speaker Prof. Estanislau Roca Blanch, Vice Rector for Infrastructure and Architecture, UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, who is a member of our Scientific Board.

The 8h issue, Vol. 4 n. 1 (2019), was launched in Valencia during the first Placemaking Week Europe, hosted at La Marina de Valencia, during a special session coordinated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo. The issue includes two viewpoints related to placemaking, from Ethan Kent (PlacemakingX) and Jeroen Laven (Placemaking Europe).

The 11th, 12th and 13th issues, Vol. 4 n. 3 (2019), Vol. 4 n. 4 (2019) and Vol. 5 n. 1 (2020), were presented during the 10th World Urban Forum, that took place in Abu Dhabi on 8-13 February 2020, during a side event at the Urban Library, organised and coordinated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo. Read more here.

The 15th special issue, Vol. 5 n. 3 (2020), titled "2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic" was published after the global online initiative curated by our Founder and Editor in Chief Dr Luisa Bravo with Prof. Hendrik Tieben, a member of our Scientific Board, which included 20 webinars and a 2-day symposium that engaged 100+ speakers, 2700+ attendees from more than 80 countries.

The 21th special issue, Vol. 7 n. 2 (2022), titled "Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All" and developed in cooperation with World Blind Union was presented at the 11th World Urban Forum, that took place in Katowice (Poland) on 26-30 June 2022, during a networking event "Public Spaces for All: Flipping the script on universal design, inclusion and accessibility" and during a press conference at the UN Press Conference Center. 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. Watch the press conference at UN Web TV.

The presentation of the 21th special issue, Vol. 7 n. 2 (2022), titled "Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All" at the 11th World Urban Forum in Katowice. From left to right: Chiara Martinuzzi (UN-Habitat), Elizabeth Nyabiage Ombati (Author, Users and Survivors of Psychiatry Kenya), Hannes J. Lagrelius (Editor, World Blind Union), Luisa Bravo (Editor, The Journal of Public Space), Iain McKinnon (Author, Global Disability Innovation Hub, University College London), Sergi Morera (Author, Barcelona City Council, Institute of People with Disabilities).