Liveability Talk with Tamara Ekamper

Originally launched within the Interreg Project Liveability – Designing public services for resilient neighbourhoods, the Talks are being continued through the Interreg Europe project UrbCitizenPower.

Join us for an inspiring Liveability Talk with Tamara Ekamper, senior policy maker for public space at the Municipality of Groningen. She will share how Groningen continues to lead urban innovation, from pioneering the Netherlands’ first traffic circulation plan to rethinking public space for a growing population. She will discuss how Groningen’s “Liveability Design Guide” plays a crucial role in creating a healthier, human-scaled city life.                  

Designing streets for people; the transition of public space in Groningen from the seventies till today Groningen has played a pivotal role in changing the way we think about Dutch cities. Back in 1977, it was the first city in the Netherlands to launch a traffic circulation plan, and later it became the first to keep cars out of its city centre. Pressure on public space has increased sharply in recent years. While the populations of the city of Groningen and the surrounding villages have grown, public spaces have not expanded in tandem. The current objective is to reclaim the public space and improve quality of life within our public spaces. Reducing car parking and bicycle parking means more room for greenery, sport facilities, play, and meeting places, and will therefore contribute to better public health. Since 2021 Groningen is working with a Design Guide; an inspiration document for a new kind of public space in a human scale.

Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of Europe’s leading cities in creating Liveable places!

Please register here and secure your spot!

March 12 | 14:00-15:30 CET | Zoom

Please note that the session will be recorded. The recording may be shared with registered participants and used for communication purposes.

The Liveability Talks bring together visionary voices from urban design, policy, and civic innovation to explore what makes cities truly liveable. Since 2024, the series has created a space for inspiration and exchange, sharing the ideas and experiences of experts and cities shaping more human, inclusive, and resilient urban futures. Originally launched within the Interreg Project Liveability – Designing public services for resilient neighbourhoods, the Talks are being continued through the Interreg Europe project UrbCitizenPower.

UrbCitizenPower (EU Interreg Europe 2024–2028), co-funded by the European Union, is driven by a simple belief: lasting urban change begins with empowered citizens. The project supports European cities in strengthening policy governance while enabling citizens to take an active role in addressing today’s societal challenges.