Pop-Up City

The Hidden Art of Amsterdam’s Sticker Culture

Joop de Boer — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:28:46 +0000

Across the city, countless stickers cover lampposts, traffic signs, public toilets, and electrical boxes. You might walk or cycle past them without a second glance, but those who take a closer look will discover a thriving underground art scene. Random lampposts in Amsterdam serve as a stage for witty criticism, raw activism, poetry, football passion, […]

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Parking Spaces Reimagined: The Pop-Up Parking Service Brings Creative Parklets to Your Street

Jeroen Beekmans — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:16:14 +0000

What would your street look like without cars, but with an outdoor cinema, a sauna, or even a playground? In Utrecht, RAUM is making this a reality with their Pop-Up Parking Service.

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How Kitchen Gardens in the Balkans Inspire Europe’s Self-Sufficient Future

Joop de Boer — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:44:34 +0000

In many parts of the world, the concept of a kitchen garden has largely become a thing of the past. In the Balkans, however, this tradition is still alive and kicking, providing inspiration for Europe in its new geopolitical reality.

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Asphalt Art: Painting a Better Urban Future

Suzie Horjus — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:46:16 +0000

The Asphalt Art Initiative is reimagining our streets. By blending art, safety, and community engagement, this initiative is turning dull roads into vibrant public spaces. Launched in 2019 by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Asphalt Art Initiative creates street artworks with the aim to slow down motorists, improve the walkability of public spaces and create new local […]

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Cooking Up Community: Transforming a Town Square into an Open Air Kitchen

Suzie Horjus — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:09:26 +0000

Once a regular town square in Stockholm, a space has been reimagined to bring people together in a unique way. Architect-artist Elin Strand Ruin, working alongside local women, transformed it into the Kitchen Square — a vibrant open-air kitchen fostering a strong sense of community and connection.

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VHS Café Is a Third Space for Tokyo’s Young Filmmakers

Joop de Boer — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:38:52 +0000

While the video store has long since disappeared from the shopping street, a VHS Café recently opened in Tokyo. This third space is an urban living room for the local film community starring the good old video tape.

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Placemaking in Motion: Museums on Wheels

Jeroen Beekmans — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:13:35 +0000

In France, Musée Mobile (MuMo) is proving that museums are more than static institutions. Their attractive museums on wheels bring art and culture to the people, making heritage more accessible to a wider audience. Addressing the Challenge of Cultural Inequality France has a highly centralised cultural infrastructure. Paris is the ‘primate city’ where almost all […]

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Trevarefabrikken, a Case Study in Innovative Rural Revitalisation

Hanneline Mjåland — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:42:21 +0000

In 2014, four Norwegian youngsters stumbled upon a disused factory on the Lofoten Islands. Inspired by its potential, they embarked on a journey to transform it into a vibrant hub for culture, food, and music. Today, Trevarefabrikken stands as a testament to the power of innovative rural revitalisation. We got a chance to speak to one of its founders, Martin Hjelle.

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Breaking Winter Blues: Luleå’s ‘Say Hello’ Campaign Sparks Connection in the Cold

Hanneline Mjåland — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:29:50 +0000

Many residents of the Swedish town of Luleå struggle with loneliness. Earlier this month, a campaign was launched calling on everyone to simply say "Hello" to each other on the street.

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Subterranean Streams: Ghost Rivers Revive Baltimore’s Hidden Past

Hanneline Mjåland — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:55:30 +0000

Artist Bruce Willen is bringing back an old submerged river in Baltimore through a 2.4-kilometre urban intervention.

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