LAUSR

Abstract Although public spaces may vary in great extent in morphology, use and typology it is of no doubt that they formulate a network of places offered to citizens to use. Alongside community can be described as both people being in a similar geographical location as well as people having a particular interest or characteristic in common. Therefore, communities also have the potential to form a strong network system supporting and effecting public spaces. What is the role of local authorities to the sense of civic engagement and the sense of belonging of public spaces? How could local authority’s practices enhance and support collective practices of maintenance and use? Practices such as participatory placemaking, co-designing, and location based digital content are examples of approaches being promoted to give answers to these questions. In what extent could these practices optimize public places and lead to communities’ cohesion and an overall increase of citizens’ and city’s wellbeing? How various practices may differentiate the use of public space, the sense of a place and the overall sense of a city, enhancing the use and the maintenance of public spaces? Showcases and potentials of the municipality of Chania will be examined, highlighted, challenged, and further analyzed.