LAUSR

In the context of the recent migration crisis affecting Europe, and the impact it has had in its public and political landscapes, there is an urgent need to nurture and manage the value of intercultural societies. The quality of intercultural interaction, particularly in the context of public spaces, have a fundamental influence in shaping social and political attitudes about the coexistence of different cultural groups. This paper argues for the role that intercultural place-making has in articulating a meaningful and sustainable inclusion and participation of multiple cultural identities in shaping our urban and public realms, mediating and negotiating an intercultural cohabitation and exchange that could generate social capital and cohesion. The paper proposes a multi-scalar approach to the planning and implementation of intercultural place-making processes, in a way that these may better articulate the intercultural exchange with complex urban and social settings and networks, so to enhance their insertion and role in the construction of cohesive intercultural cities.